A couple things that surprised me about the launch of
ReDigi, the platform for buying and selling "used" digital music tracks:
1. No Lawsuits
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad that someone is making a strong stand for establishing a "
first sale" right for digital goods. (ReDigi's
FAQ section makes it clear that the firm believes the first sale doctrine gives it legal cover.) And I've long believed that
digital albums are overpriced relative to CDs, given the lack of resale value. But I'm amazed that ReDigi has made it this far without being sued by the major labels or music publishers. As I noted
earlier in the year, the user agreements for Amazon MP3 and eMusic prohibit the transfer of purchased music files to other parties. (I couldn't find explicit language in the iTunes user agreement forbidding the transfer of files to another party, but I assume it's in there somewhere.) It seems extremely unlikely that the labels and publishers won't soon file lawsuits. Scott Kirsner of the Boston Globe
contacted the RIAA, Sony Music, and Warner Music but couldn't get anyone to comment on ReDigi.
Continue reading “Two Quick Thoughts About ReDigi” »
More at
Digital Audio Insider
