March 29, 2002
March 29th, 2002 (Reuters)
March 29th, 2002 (Reuters) - Universal Music Company announced the next phase of their anti-piracy efforts today by introducing empty compact discs into their music catalogs."In 2002, gross music sales for our artists went down 9.4%, but popularity of music as a whole is up," said Frederick Farling, Universal's V.P. of Music Media Production. "This can only be from piracy. We've calculated that for every nine cds sold, an equivalent cd's worth of music is stolen from us. So, we're balancing it out."
Universal's plan involves shipping hundreds of thousands of empty cds - a full 10% of its record catalog - to record stores nationwide. The cds will be placed into store shelves and will appear to be identical to other artist cds, with identical artwork, labels, and liner notes. However, the cds themselves will be empty save for a recorded announcement from Hilary Rosen, president of the RIAA.
"Pirates have ruined lives for too many artists," says the recording by Ms. Rosen. "As their risk of losing money due to piracy increases, we must pass on that risk to consumers. This cd you have just received is the end result of piracy. If this makes you angry, it's your friend's fault."
Universal will not accept returns or offer refunds for these empty cds. "Why should we?" asked Farling. "It's those teenage pirates that are stealing the money, not us. We're just restoring balance to the music community. This is about looking out for the artists."
Universal Music is a large part of the RIAA. The strategy is rumored to
be part of a larger anti-piracy effort including such technologies as
interlaced subliminal messages, advanced frequency technology to slowly
damage stereo components, and new cd pressing techniques to create
razor-sharp edges on popular cds.
Posted by Curt at March 29, 2002 02:05 AM