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You know, after the labels stopped insisting on DRM I really thought that they had learned their lesson, at least to some extent. The functionality Google prov
by ugh 15y ago
You know, after the labels stopped insisting on DRM I really thought that they had learned their lesson, at least to some extent.
The functionality Google provides does not need to be negotiated with the labels. The user is free to upload their music. Since ripped (It's legal!) and pirated files are indistinguishable, it is not even possible for Google to prevent users from uploading pirated music (except in a way that would cripple the service in an unacceptable way).
Oh, and the law obviously allows Google to not have any measures in place that bar their users from uploading pirated music.
I don't think Google needs to get in the business of selling music (many others are and they all sell their music without DRM), they consequently also don't need to play nice with the labels. What the labels think about their new service is not so important.
- eli 15y agothe law obviously allows Google to not have any measures in place that bar their users from uploading pirated music. Didn't Limewire just lose despite making that argument? I mean, granted that unlike Google Limewire probably was encouraging infringement, but it seems like an awfully fine line.
- nextparadigms 15y agoGoogle Music is effectively a file locker. File lockers are not illegal.
- jbellis 15y agoThen again, the labels shut down mp3.com's music locker 10 years ago.
- ugh 15y agoMy.mp3.com did not at all work like what Google is doing. Looking only at experience the end user is having, the difference is minimal to non-existent but that’s not what the law cares about. (My personal opinion is that what my.mp3.com was doing should be legal just as what Google is doing is clearly legal. The distinction the law is making in that respect doesn’t make any practical sense.)
- ugh 15y agoWhat Google offers is very different from LimeWire. It doesn’t even allow users to make their music public or share it. It’s just storage space with some special music features. It specifically doesn’t encourage or enable users to pirate music.
- hugh3 15y agoWhat Google offers is very different from LimeWire. It doesn’t even allow users to make their music public or share it Is that so, though? What if people start uploading music to accounts and then publishing the login details? Bingo bango, free google-hosted public radio station!
- cleverjake 15y agowhat and what if people start sharing keys to their houses? they'd be able to share music that way too. Why would anyone use such a convoluted way of sharing music when they can just continue to download it the way they have been for 10 years. Anyone that determined to share music will find other ways of doing it.