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EMI VP opposes SOPA, thinks better products at better prices will solve piracy

Cory Doctorow at 7:04 am Fri, Jan 27, 2012

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EMI's VP of Urban Promotions Craig Davis opposes SOPA and legislation like it, and thinks the solution to piracy is better products at formats and prices that customers like. TorrentFreak's Ernesto writes:

“Personally, I feel that the method they’re using is incorrect. All it will do is cause headaches and issues for everyone,” Davis noted.

While the EMI VP opposes PIPA and SOPA, he does admit that piracy is a problem. However, Davis thinks that the problem can be better solved from within the music industry itself. In other words, the key to solving piracy isn’t legislation, but innovation.

“I do believe that a person should be compensated for their work. I feel that piracy is a big issue, and things like Spotify will assist in combating this problem,” he said.

EMI Boss Opposes SOPA, Says Piracy is a Service Issue

I write books. My latest is a YA science fiction novel called Homeland (it's the sequel to Little Brother). More books: Rapture of the Nerds (a novel, with Charlie Stross); With a Little Help (short stories); and The Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow (novella and nonfic). I speak all over the place and I tweet and tumble, too.

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  • ComradeQuestions

    “Soon-to-be-former-EMI VP opposes SOPA, thinks better products at better prices will solve piracy”

    There, fixed that headline for you.

  • That_Anonymous_Coward

    As EMI is being devoured by their kin for just over 4 billion dollars they are soon to cease to exist anyways.
    Ponder that, an industry being murdered by piracy and they had 4 billion to spend on more stuff that will just be stolen and robbing them of their fortune.
    Their stockholders should be livid, they are being shredded to the bone and wasting all of this money.

    Or maybe they are lying and just fear not making as much for each vinyl disc as they did in the 1950s. (In the digital age their contract still subtract a rate for the label to make up for the average amount of stock loss due to breakage during shipping…of vinyl discs)

  • odds

    Wow! Better prices, better selection.  Sounds like this guy took marketing lessons from Wal-Mart.

    You’d think that, after the success of Wal-Mart in the bricks and mortar world, and the success of iTunes and Amazon in the digital world, the content distributors dreaming of endless wealth would realize the simple mantra: make it affordable in a format people want, and you’ll be richer than you could possibly imagine.

  • http://www.hisnameistimmy.com Tim in SF

    “While the EMI VP opposes PIPA and SOPA, he does admit that piracy is a problem[citation needed]. However, Davis thinks that the problem can be better solved from within the music industry itself. In other words, the key to solving piracy isn’t legislation, but innovation.”

    Fixed.

  • mccrum

    Can’t talk. Must reward EMI for clear thinking and buy as much as possible…

    • DewiMorgan

      This. EMI should do damn well with that approach.

    • niktemadur

      What’s that old Slashdot tag?
      suddenoutbreakofcommonsense

  • soyonsici

    Source, if anyone is interested: 

    http://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/otbdt/iama_vice_president_of_urban_promotions_for_emi/c3k1m2v 

  • shannigans

    Funny because a VP for EMI was just complaining on NPR the other morning about the cost of producing the likes of Katy Perry.  I can’t think of a worse product for more money than that.   

    http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2012/01/20/145466007/katy-perrys-perfect-game

    • http://www.hisnameistimmy.com Tim in SF

      And when the masses realize how much she sucks and her sales start going into the toilet, they will blame file sharing. 

  • TheAnonymouse

    Holy shit. Quality product, at a fair price, in a format I can use. What a shocking idea!

    • Andrew Singleton

      I know! Next you’ll see headlines of companies treating customers fairly and with respect rather than like criminals.

  • http://twitter.com/Listener43 Listener43

    Wait – is this the Onion?

  • Guest

    [EDIT -- I deleted my comment because @ComradeQuestions above me said the same thing, only much better.]

  • http://codeflow.org/ Florian Bösch

    Look, you can’t have it both ways, paying for a stupid and dangerous law, and saying you don’t support it. If EMI doesn’t support SOPA, it could kill it singlehandedly by putting their opposition on the congressional record and withdraw any funds for the RIAA/MPAA and their armies of lobbyists.

    Has EMI done that? No. Will they do it? No. Are they just waxing on the harp of public opinion not to look like total douchebags. Yes. Is that plan working? No.

    Remember PR bullshit is for free. Actually doing something right isn’t.

  • Donagh Horgan

    Someone should tell EMI Ireland.

    http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/0126/1224310756875.html

  • Baldhead

    This particular VP believes a person should be compensated for their work. Most of his industry believes industry executives should be compensated for other peoples’ work. That’s the problem.