Hi Bob:

History has proven that just about any digital format can be converted to any other. Also, any DRM
can be defeated or worked around. And, there are enough pirates out there that even new-issue LPs
get digitized and out on the pirate networks very quickly. The one advantage that the LP has is that
everyone seems to have their preferred playback system, and the audience who buys LPs are not
necessarily going to want lossy files for an iPod, but many do. So, net-net, I don't think the
demise of the CD will do anything more or less to derail mass piracy.

Also, last I read, the most-used ripper software today and for the past couple of years is Apple
iTunes. And Steve Jobs as much as admitted in his trietise about getting rid of DRM that 90+% of
iTunes usage (at that time) was not buying tunes from the store but rather ripping and loading tunes
to iPods. He offered no stats or theories as to how much of that ripping was legit and how much was
transferring pirate files obtained from Napster-ish sources.

-- Tom Fine

----- Original Message -----
From: "Bob Olhsson" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, April 21, 2010 1:50 PM
Subject: Re: [ARSCLIST] Concord Music Group acquires Rounder Records


>> -----Original Message-----
>> From Tom Fine: >
>> Huh? It takes 5 minutes or less to crunch a whole album of any format
>> except SACD (because Sony
>> never allowed ripping software) down to MP3, and thus easy pirate
>> distribution.
>
> Not crunched on or served from an i-pod/pad and not if the whole album,
> videos, etc. is one big multi-gig flash or silverlight file. Have you ever
> uploaded a few gigs from a DSL or cable modem?
>
> Anything that has ever been released on CD has no effective protection but a
> great deal can be done to make piracy at least as inconvenient as vinyl for
> new titles. Of course there will always be some but probably not the absurd
> quantity. I understand there has also been somewhat of a decline now that
> having every title known to man on one's i-pod no longer offers high school
> students much in the way of bragging rights.
>
> By the way, Sony never allowed CD ripping software. My wife sat in a meeting
> where Bill Gates assured representatives of Sony and Philips that CD-ROM
> offered no conceivable technological threat to the intellectual property of
> record labels.
>
> Bob Olhsson Audio Mastery, Nashville TN
> Mastering, Audio for Picture, Mix Evaluation and Quality Control
> Over 40 years making people sound better than they ever imagined!
> 615.562.4346 http://bobolhsson.com http://www.thewombforums.com
>