Eminem sues, zzzzzzzzzzzz

I'll admit it. I don't like Eminem. And save your emails defending his bad music. I don't want to read them. But he did make tech news. From the BBC

Rap star Eminem is suing computer firm Apple for allegedly selling his music in its iTunes store without permission.

A lawsuit claiming infringement of copyright has been filed on behalf of the singer by his music publishing company Eight Mile Style.

Apple pays Eminem's record label for each download - but Eight Mile Style argues it has not approved the deal.

"This is a significant issue in the music industry," said Norman Ankers, a lawyer for the company.

Actually Norm, it's not. You see Apple works with music labels to sell the label's music on through their ITunes platform. Label and ARTIST get money from every single or album sold. What is it about that concept do you not understand. So Slim Shady's problem is with his label, not with Apple.

"Generally, artists want their music sold," said Joel Martin, a spokesperson for Eight Mile Style. "We want it downloaded. We request that any provider that's offering downloads license it through the publisher."

"Apple is not accounting to us. They are accounting to Universal (Music)," he said.

If Marshall wants to cut out the middle person (Universal), let him. Then he can talk to Apple directly. To me, it is akin to saying Borders can't sell a CD because the artist did not themselves go to Borders. Borders talked to the label and Borders can't do that. See how stupid that sound.

If you want your stuff to be sold, sell it and shut up. If not, pull it and shut up. Either way, Em, just shut up.

Emusic goes indie

From the IHT, http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/07/31/business/emusic.php

EMusic, the nation’s second-largest online music seller after Apple’s iTunes, plans to announce a deal with AT&T today that will allow people to buy songs from independent labels through their cellphones, without the need to go through a personal computer.

Several services, including those run by Sprint and Verizon, let people buy songs directly over the air. But they focus on songs by mainstream performers like Prince, who has a deal with Verizon. EMusic sells music only from independent labels, a category that these days includes the new album from Paul McCartney as well as obscure punk bands. The arrangement with AT&T Mobile Music will make those songs available just as easily as the more conventional ones.

For indie labels, this is a probably a good thing. It lets their artists get their stuff out there. We'll see how the software client is set up. So, how much does it cost:

Tracks will cost more than they do over the Internet--$7.49 for five songs, as opposed to $9.99 for 30 at the online site--because of the expense of sending them over a mobile network to a user's phone. For that price, however, users can also get another copy of the song, which they can download from the Internet as an MP3.

It has potential for people who are interesting in stuff they can't find in Clear Channel-run radio stations (if people still listen to read) and the top 100 on iTunes. That would include me. But I don't think there are many people like me out there.