AllOfMP3.com on the hotseat...

[AlecWest]

... but will it stick?

http://p2pnet.net/story/4000

[BJ_M]

Big Music verses The Russian Mafia this should be interesting!!!!!

[yoda313]

Big Music verses The Russian Mafia this should be interesting!!!!!

Hello,

Hmm..........

Two heavyweights duke it out!

Kevin

[AlecWest]

Big Music verses The Russian Mafia this should be interesting!!!!!

It's even more involved than that. MediaServices, Inc., the parent corporation behind AllOfMP3.com, is in partnership with the Samsung Corporation (according to Vadim Mamotin, CIO of MediaServices). So, if Russia makes nice with US media cartels, it ends up making enemies with a supplier of cheap technology. Lots at stake here.

March 7th is the date to watch for. That's when the prosecutor decides whether or not to prosecute. If he decides not to, I expect other similar services will begin popping up in Russia.

[BJ_M]

i would seriously think about it - if deemed legal

i think you see more of these in places you never even heard of poping up ...

[AlecWest]

i would seriously think about it - if deemed legal

i think you see more of these in places you never even heard of poping up ...

And even if the prosecutor decides to prosecute doesn't mean they'll win. I doubt if AllOfMP3.com's parent corp has a lot of money on hand (unless they really are a Russian Mafia front). But Samsung does. Yup, it'll be an interesting thing to watch develop.

[vitualis]

I've used AllofMP3.com a few times. It provides an excellent model of music distribution. My gut feeling is that they will probably lose.

The music industry has a lot riding on this... if AllofMP3 wins, then not only will they be "bona fide" legal, they would have had a hell of a lot of free publicity.

Regards.

[AlecWest]

I've used AllofMP3.com a few times. It provides an excellent model of music distribution. My gut feeling is that they will probably lose.

The music industry has a lot riding on this... if AllofMP3 wins, then not only will they be "bona fide" legal, they would have had a hell of a lot of free publicity.

Regards.

You might be right ... and yes, there is a lot riding on this. The worst possible thing to happen (my opinion) is if the prosecutor decides NOT to prosecute. A decision made one day could be changed the next and this would still leave things in a legal limbo. I'd like to see this whole matter brought to a head, in a Russian court, with a decision that will finalize the issue once and for all. If AllOfMP3.com wins, that will open up the floodgate and force other online music providers to follow suit. The only way to compete with pennies is to charge fewer pennies (or none at all). And, ad-supported downloads might be a way to do it.

On the other hand, if AllOfMP3.com loses, I expect they'll go down ... for at least a week (grin), only to open up shop in the Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, or any of a whole number of countries with different court systems and different attitudes. Certainly, if the music industry thinks a legal victory in Russia is the end of their troubles, it will be the same wishful thinking they experienced when the original Napster client went down.

P.S. This may be wishful thinking on my part but here goes. MediaServices, Inc. is in partnership with Samsung. And if AllOfMP3.com gets hurt, both partners get hurt. It would not be beyond the realm of possibility for Samsung to go to a country with underdeveloped infrastructure (and a somewhat hostile attitude toward the US) and say, "We'll help you upgrade your infrastructure. In exchange, we'd like you to pass laws beneficial to our business." A lot of underdeveloped countries would consider such an offer.

[glockjs]

well if they do have an actual license they wont have anything to worry about...just shows how far the music industry is willing to reach.

on the pausitive side like vitualis said it's gonna be alot of free publicity. eh maybe they'll move to a different country and set up shop

[AlecWest]

well if they do have an actual license they wont have anything to worry about...just shows how far the music industry is willing to reach.

on the pausitive side like vitualis said it's gonna be alot of free publicity. eh maybe they'll move to a different country and set up shop

I'm just guessing here ... but I suspect the prevailing Russian attitude toward the US is not all that great. And, though the prosecutor is using fighting words, I'm wondering if a Russian court will agree with him. I suspect there's nothing more Russia would like to do than flip a metaphorical bird at the US (like they did in their recent nuclear deal with Iran) ... and a ruling in favor of AllOfMP3.com would be a good way to do it.

[glockjs]

well if they do have an actual license they wont have anything to worry about...just shows how far the music industry is willing to reach.

on the pausitive side like vitualis said it's gonna be alot of free publicity. eh maybe they'll move to a different country and set up shop

I'm just guessing here ... but I suspect the prevailing Russian attitude toward the US is not all that great. And, though the prosecutor is using fighting words, I'm wondering if a Russian court will agree with him. I suspect there's nothing more Russia would like to do than flip a metaphorical bird at the US (like they did in their recent nuclear deal with Iran) ... and a ruling in favor of AllOfMP3.com would be a good way to do it.

well in that case i hope more of the world hates us

[yoda313]

Hello,

Hmm... getting a little too political here. Stick with the legal issues of mp3 sites please....

Kevin

[BJ_M]

[yoda313]

Hello,



ALL HAIL IG-88!!!!!

Kevin

[glockjs]

Hello,

Hmm... getting a little too political here. Stick with the legal issues of mp3 sites please....

Kevin

just a joke...if you read through it kinda makes sense.

@BJ_M

[vitualis]

With AllOfMP3, it all hinges on whether their arrangement with the "Russian Multimedia and Internet Society" actually gives them the legal right to distribute music regardless of the Russion version of the copyright act.

I see several possible scenarios:

1. It clearly doesn't and there was a conspiracy/corruption between thus named "society" and AllOfMP3
2. The law is vague and the loophole is closed by trial law.
3. AllOfMP3 "does" have the right but given that this is a clear hole in Copyright, the Russian parliament enact new (restrictive) laws.
4. The case is not persued leaving it in legal limbo.

IMHO, AllOfMP3's best chance is for this case to not be persued as I fail to see how it could possibly win (in the end) as what they are doing is breaking the spirit of copyright.

Regards.

[bugster]

It looks like they have got away with it.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2005/03/07/allofmp3-com_let_off/

[vitualis]

Yep...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/4328269.stm

As I said, not persued even though they are breaking the "spirit" of copyright...

I'm not entirely sure how to interpret this... are Russian copyright laws more or less advanced than Western laws?

Regards.

[AlecWest]

Not sure whether their laws or more or less advanced. But, it seems clear they won't bow down to Western attempts to influence their courts. At least, not yet.