AllofMP3 Legal Clarification

bs7

Dead_Eye_Jones wrote:

If nothing else its morally wrong, tbh I think money saving is great but you gotta draw a line at stealing surely??! Bottom line is, the artists dont get paid. Thanks all you guys using the site, my bro, a pro musician is being cheated out of money that he has worked very hard for - he has trained since he was 7 to be at the standard he is and people just dont give a f*** that they are cheating him and his family (inc 2 toddlers) out of money.

But hey, thats OK, at least you are saving some £££s. I know, why doesnt he just come round your place and nick the food off ya shelves. Afterall, he would save himself money....

You're argument is only valid IF any of the downloaders would have ever actually bought your brother's music in the first place (and indeed if he is even on allofmp3.com). Otherwise he's losing absolutely nothing. In fact, he'd perhaps be gain a fan that will purchase something in the future.

There's a similar argument on another thread: Music downloads, how legal is legal enough? and i asked if anyone could explain the following point i raised:

I think the biggest problem is that the cost savings from online music isn't being passed on to the consumers!

It seems "legit" download sites are only using it as a chance to increase their profit margins rather than offer genuine value for money.
i.e. an album may cost £7.99 via itunes but is only £8.75 (or less with promotional vouchers) at cd-wow.com - so for a £0.76 saving you're losing the jewel case, the booklet/cover and back cover, the cd, and postage to you - so it doesn't seem that good a deal.
You may be paying slightly less but getting a lot less at the same time.
And remember once you've got the CD you can use itunes (or many other applications) to import it onto your computer in electronic format anyway - but also have the convenience of having the CD too.

Unsurprisingly i received no responses. As JasonLVC points out we are completely ripped off in the UK. So using the same logic as you (Dead_Eye_Jones) i should be requesting your brother to refund me for all the times i've overpaid for my music, so he is, afterall, nicking food off my shelves in a roundabout way!

PhantomPower

Well said JasonLVC.

This furore is all fantastic publicity for allofmp3. The owners of the site will make a bomb from the increased traffic being generated.

Perhaps iTunes and the other download providers will take note of consumers voting with their virtual feet and lower prices. Or perhaps not

Anyway in the interests of fairness I noted this story from the Times about a civil action against the major record labels for alleged 'price fixing'

JasonLVC

PhantomPower wrote:

Well said JasonLVC.

Anyway in the interests of fairness I noted this story from the Times about a civil action against the major record labels for alleged 'price fixing'

Great, great story and about time too.

I just want to add that I've never used allofmp3 as my wife works as a radio DJ and so I get an endless supply of music free of charge - I'm only posting here as I just find it wrong to play the guilt card when basically, the site is 'legal' in the land it is based and is giving what the consumer wants. If it is deemed illegal then so be it and I'll understand why. But not beforehand.

gamma

Love your signature PhantomPower - from Napolean Dynamite? hehehe very funny movie - I have no skillssss....

rchddap1

Part of this music downloading problem all started because the music industry never believed that it would be popular and stuck to CDs and tapes. Now the horse has bolted they're trying to cram it back into the stable. Problem is the horse has gotten rather good at finding another exit...ie, when they sort out one 'problem' another springs up to take its place.

I'm not publically backing either side of the arguement, but with the advent of the 'broadband & internet world' that we are living in this problem is never going to go away....because quite simply there is a demand for cheap or free music on demand. And not just the modern stuff, but the older stuff that is almost impossible to get hold of in shops.

And yes its great publicity for the site concerned.

bootcampbilly

Dead_Eye_Jones wrote:

well of course its illegal, er.. common sense alert!

If nothing else its morally wrong, tbh I think money saving is great but you gotta draw a line at stealing surely??! Bottom line is, the artists dont get paid. Thanks all you guys using the site, my bro, a pro musician is being cheated out of money that he has worked very hard for - he has trained since he was 7 to be at the standard he is and people just dont give a f*** that they are cheating him and his family (inc 2 toddlers) out of money.

But hey, thats OK, at least you are saving some £££s. I know, why doesnt he just come round your place and nick the food off ya shelves. Afterall, he would save himself money....

I hope the BPI clamp down hard and catch up with the users. Lets face it, they'll be easy to trace!

So sad, all people care about is themselves and how much money they can save without a second thought for the consequences. Yes my brother does depend on royalties, can he afford to lose income - hell no, he has barely two beans to rub together. Im sure this post will be followed by plenty of post rationalisation by people who cant face up to the truth, thing is, we all know its illegal, we all know its morally wrong, we all know if it was our product being ripped off we'd be furious. Yet people will still come to its defence.

So sad, so frustrating, so typical...

If you can get something as cheaply as possible, then why not use it?
I'm also a musician and earn my living from royalties, but still use the https://www.allofmp3.com website.

This is afterall, a money saving site

firespire

I've never understood why music is so expensive both CD Albums and DVDs cost around £10-£15 but surely the cost of producing a film is at least 100 times more with every one working on it - actors, extras, directors, post production. Surely the CD album should cost a fraction of a film, why does sometimes the film soundtrack cost the same as the film.

manhattan

i myself produce house music, and i dj too.

i buy mp3's from legal sites,as it is very important that the original artists get paid for there hard work!

to most of these artists,its there job.

would you like to do your job and not get paid? no i dont think so!

irnbru_2

manhattan wrote:

would you like to do your job and not get paid? no i dont think so!

Nor me then again, I'd like to get paid a little everytime someone uses software I've written.

irnbru_2

bs7 wrote:

The problem is with jurisdiction. I'm not sure if UK consumers purchasing a service abroad would give any court in the UK sufficient grounds to hear any case.

There's a reciprical arguement that if consumers are given protection for goods bought abroad with credit cards then those purchases should be subject to the conditions of UK law.