Novel Tactics Target Piracy

Each tech advance stirred unfounded fears: Kot

(NEWSER) - The Internet has so fragmented music that there may never be another big act like U2. But that’s just fine for music critic Greg Kot, author of Ripped: How the Wired Generation Revolutionized Music. “Art thrives best when it’s created without regard to making any kind of compromise,” he tells Time, saying labels have long forced artists to adapt to mainstream tastes. More»

Singer ripped others' music for own mixes before she was a star

(NEWSER) - Singer Lily Allen has caused a stir with recent rants against music piracy (and a blog where she posts opinions from like-minded creative pals), but when she was trying to make it, she was guilty of just that offense. Allen included tracks from Jay-Z, Jefferson Airplane and others on mixtapes (still available, by the way) with her own songs, Michael Masnick notes in a Techdirt post "from the put-the-stone-down-lily,-that's-a-big-glass-house dept." More»

(NEWSER) - Faced with crumbling CD sales and a digital market without enough oomph to compensate, online music sellers are slashing prices to lure buyers, the Boston Globe reports. “It is the schoolyard crack dealer approach,” one analyst said. Amazon MP3 offers sought-after albums for $3.99, and others for just $0.99. iTunes also offers specials for $6.99, and the trend is forcing physical record stores down as well. More»

(NEWSER) - Atlantic Records has become the first major label to pass a high-tech milestone: More than half of its music sales are now from digital products such as iTunes downloads and ring tones for cell phones. Sales of CDs have been declining across the board in recent years, so it was just a matter of time, reports the New York Times. More»

Meanwhile, House author offers new concession

(NEWSER) - The White House waded into the politically volatile territory of SOPA today, notes the Hill , and it sounds a little wary about the anti-piracy legislation. "While we believe that online piracy by foreign websites is a serious problem that requires a serious legislative response, we will not support legislation that reduces freedom of expression, increases cybersecurity risk, or undermines the dynamic, innovative global Internet," reads a blog post from three tech officials in the administration. More»