Taxes on hard drives

[Alan Olsen]

On Thu, 15 Feb 2001, Ken Brown wrote:

> Alan Olsen wrote:
> 
> [...snip...] 
> 
> > The things I find most interesting in the way of the non-traditional music
> > distribution channels are the things I *cannot* buy.
> > 
> > -- Bands from countries that do not speak english.  (I have found some
> > great stuff from China, Sweeden and Finland, for example.)
> 
> That's the trouble with all you suburbanites. A three hour drive to the
> shop & then all you can get is Metallica & Puff Daddy. Over here in
> London there are maybe ten shops in a short lunchbreak's stroll of my
> desk where I would be able to buy vast quantities of
> non-English-language music. I bet the same is true of New York or Paris.
> You guys just need to get back to the big city :-)

I live in portland, OR.  Not exactly small, but to find anything
interesting is difficult to say the least.  (There are a few places, but
the selection is limited and usually quite expensive.)

Then again, some of the things I have found on the net you can't buy even
there.  For example, I have seen at least 40 episodes of "I'm Sorry I'll
Read That Again" available on the net.  There are about eight available on
tape in England.  (According to Amazon-UK.)

Personally I see the whole unauthorized copying issue as a reaction to the
excesive prices charged for music.  Think of it as "market forces" at
work.  (What other option is there?  People have been so indoctrinated
into the idea of having music available 24 hours per day, that can't think
of having anything less than the full fix.)

Interestingly enough, I have seen studies quoted that people who download
alot of music also buy alot of music as well.  (I know I do.)  I am
willing alot less gets spent on "product bands" though. Maybe that is why
the record companies get so pissed about it.

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