Bopaboo — questions, questions
p2pnet news view Music:- Remember Bopaboo? Set up to sell used MP3s?
It, “received a great deal of attention — mostly unwanted — after a story in The Guardian on Dec. 3 exposed its plans to create a digital music service that focused on selling ‘used’ MP3s, said Billboard, going on:
“In an interview with Billboard, CEO Alex Meshkin talked about how Bopaboo will approach selling music and explained how the service will work.
“Members will be able to sell any DRM-free digital song they have in their library by uploading the tracks and setting a price between 25-99 cents. Bopaboo keeps 20% of each transaction, and the rest goes to participating license holders.”
Today, “Over the past two weeks, widespread inaccuracies have been reported in the press about the bopaboo business model that subsequently set-off a flurry of speculation,” says Meshkin on the Bopaboo site, going on:
“While we are grateful for the excitement generated by the coverage and the hoards of potential users who have requested access, new business partners, advisors, and content partners; we want to clarify certain misconceptions.
“The basic concept of bopaboo is to create the next-generation digital music community that places you, the consumer, first! Through bopaboo, you will be able to purchase new tracks from the top artists of our time, but then have the freedom to sell those songs you no longer wish to keep, thus allowing you to buy more music!”
We had a few questions, too, and when we recently contacted Meshkin, he seemed willing to answer them.
“Working on it 
,” he said when we asked when we’d have a response soon after our initial email.
And that was all he wrote.
Well, actually, it wasn’t.
On the Bopaboo site, he says »»»
To curb further public misunderstanding of our business, we want to make it amply clear that we are in private beta by invitation only, designed for the sole purpose of assuring that all of our systems are in place, are stable, and most importantly to measure user interest and behavior. To that end, we have revised the public view of our site and continue to limit access to qualified beta testers only. We thank everyone for the tremendous user demand and promise to provide you with the most compelling digital music solution you have ever seen after our public launch in 2009.
Importantly, bopaboo is not ignoring the right of the copyright-holders. We had always envisioned that our model would include an appropriate arrangement with copyright holders. We are encouraged by our meetings with content providers so far and look forward to completing those arrangements. Look for further announcements relating to our experienced management team and advisors, as well as partnerships with key content providers!
Interesting, and meanwhile, below are our questions:
1 How did you come up with the name Bopaboo?
2 A p2pnet comment post [http://www.p2pnet.net/story/17792#comment-904829] says, “I think if you read the ‘Terms of Service’ or whatever boilerplate Amazon and most other sellers of MP3s make you agree to, you will find that MP3s are licensed, not sold. Theoretically you don’t own any MP3s, so you cannot sell them, even if they were legally obtained, just like iTunes song-files.” Is this correct?
3 How would sellers would ‘prove’ they’d bought a given MP3?
4 How will buyers know their acquisitions are legitimate?
5 Assuming there’s a way to prove a given file is legal, what’s to stop someone from copying it and reselling it ad infinitum under numerous different accounts?
6 How do artists and rights holders get paid?
7 Have you approached any of the major labels about your idea?
8 If so, which ones and what were their responses?
9 Have you run this by the RIAA?
10 Could the same concept be applied to movies?
Please feel free to add anything you want at any length.
Cheers! And thanks …
Jon
“Again, thank you for your enthusiasm — and stay tuned for more exciting bopaboo news!” – Meshkin says on the site.
We will. 
sell used MP3s – New and used MP3s for sale, December 4, 2008
Billboard – Bopaboo CEO Opens Hood On ‘Used’ MP3 Beta, December 9, 2008
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December 16th, 2008 at 9:45 pm
What a wonderful – nonsense – idea, selling something that you do not have, cannot own, cannot see and cannot put in a package, but can be reproduced indefinitely. Was this another Madoff idea?
December 17th, 2008 at 2:47 am
I don’t think it was a Madoff idea, I think it was Dogbert.
December 17th, 2008 at 3:01 am
It’s a great way for the musicians to get paid for file sharing: –Bob.
December 17th, 2008 at 10:53 am
the RIAA will sue, im sure.
I didn’t read anywhere in the article where they are getting their cut, they will certainly sue.
December 17th, 2008 at 2:29 pm
” Itâs a great way for the musicians to get paid for file sharing: ”
Please specify …
How , EXACTLY , are any MUSICIANS getting paid by this ?
Do you know something we don’t ?
Specifically who gets paid and how ?
Inquiring minds, you know.
January 21st, 2009 at 12:11 pm
His former endeavors in Nascar didn’t work out too well:
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/05_06/b3919102.htm
November 6th, 2011 at 11:46 pm
[...] but that either way bopaboo is going to get their pants sued off by Big Media. The problem is that they all view the music files as a tangible good, as a property that doesn’t even belong to the person who possesses the [...]