Is the noose is tightening around Russia's Allofmp3.com?
Or is it yet another PR ploy initiated by the Big Four Organized Music cartel to convince the world at large it has a handle on p2p file sharing which in reality, it's been unable to crush or subvert, years of desperate attempts to do so notwithstanding?
Far from being a threat to the music market, "whether legal or not under Russian law, regardless of the BPI's whimpering lawsuit," AllofMP3.com is a perfect example of how, "different markets can, and should, price music according to the public's purchase power," Fading Ways Music owner Neil Leyton told delegates at the recent Trans Atlantic Comsumer Dialogue (TACD) conference in Paris, France.
Be that as it may, "Are the site's days numbered?" – wonders Ars Technica, at the same time observing, "prudence would suggest that if you have any credit at the site, now's the time to use it".
"The record industry, which now has the site on its radar screen, won a small victory in the UK this week that will allow it to file suit against the site," says Ars Technica, mooting the noose theory and going on:
"The British Phonographic Industry (the UK's version of the RIAA) received permission from London's High Court to 'serve proceedings' against the website. When that happens, the Russian judicial system will be obligated by international agreement to look into the matter, which means another legal headache is developing for Allofmp3. The site already has to contend with two legal cases against its director and former director, and additional pressure from the UK won't make things any easier for a service that finds itself in the crosshairs of the international community's Piracy Sniper Rifle.
"The Americans have been leaning hard on Russia to do something about the site, but Allofmp3 just keeps chugging along, offering up new Dashboard Confessional, Keane, and Red Hot Chili Peppers for under US$2."
And while AllofMP3.com continues to defy the Big Four and various administrations which support their efforts to coral the music market, with the US in the lead, France's Vivendi Universal, a member of the Big Four gang, the others being EMI (UK), Sony BMG (Japan, Germany) and Warner Music (US), believes it's about to get p2p file sharing under control via a new CD sales scheme.
It'll try to sell "deluxe CDs" for close to $26, and "basic" no-frills CDs for ), "the standard for 14.99 euros (just under $20) and and the basic for 9.99 euros (alomost $13) and new Vivendi music 'product' will, of course, be loaded to the gills with DRM, not that it'll do much good.
CDs remain the primary source of content with music downloaders, says a recent study which states:
"Nearly half (44%) of the content stored on MP3 players is ripped from the owner’s personal CD collection, and another 6% is ripped from others’ CD collections."
Meanwhile, file sharing via the p2p networks and indie music sites and services continues to grow in popularity.
This May, globally, the number of p2p users simultaneously logged on at any given moment was 9,735,661, p2p research firm Big Champagne told p2pnet. In May, 2005, the number was 8,665,319 and in 2004, 7,286,377.
In the US in May, 2005, the number was 6,290,327 and in 2004, it was 4,589,255, and it's estimated around 60 million Americans have shared with each other.
Also See: whimpering lawsuit - Paris TACD conference, June 29, 2006 Ars Technica - Allofmp3.com faces new threat: the Brits, July 5, 2006 under control - Vivendi's answer to file sharing, July 5, 2006 primary source - CD rips main mp3 player content, June 29, 2006 continues to grow - P2p file sharing escalates, July 3, 2006
