Digital Data Exchange
p2p news / p2pnet: Elements of the corporate entertainment cartels have come up with a new weapon of mass consumer destruction.
Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG, the Big Four Organized Music gang, are indelibly marked by their total lack of morals, standards and scruples.
Their shareholders and managers are wholly obsessed with raking in money at the expense of all else, even if it means suing the very people who’ve made them so obscenely wealthy.
It’s therefore supremely ironic to see them involved in what’s being touted as a "new standards body".
It’s called the Digital Data Exchange (DDEX) and on board with the Big Four are "music rights" societies the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), the Harry Fox Agency, the MCPS-PRS Alliance Limited, Sociedad General de Autores y Editores, shortly to be joined by the French society SACEM; and music "service" providers Apple, Microsoft and RealNetworks.
"Membership of DDEX is open to any business entity with an interest in digital media content but with the initial focus being on entities whose business is centred on music and music related assets," says the organization.
"This would include record labels, music rights societies; producer rights organizations; digital service providers/mobile service providers; digital music aggregators; broadcasters; music publishers; technology providers; providers of business services in these areas."
Want to climb into bed with the Big Four, et al?
It’ll cost you $25,000 per year.
Will the major Hollywood studios now join? Stay tuned.
Go here if you want to sign up, or here if you have questions.
May 8th, 2006 at 2:36 pm
“It’s called the Digital Data Exchange (DDEX) and on board with the Big Four are “music rights” societies the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), the Harry Fox Agency, the MCPS-PRS Alliance Limited, Sociedad General de Autores y Editores, shortly to be joined by the French society SACEM; and music “service” providers Apple, Microsoft and RealNetworks.
My scoop on these: Organizations that have managed to take away tha rights of artists and songwriter under the guise that these will be represented for their benefit. The fact is that artists and songwriters just fall into contract traps planned by the music publishing business who with their back room accounting and well placed lawyers and multi slicing of royalties take all the money and wind up owning all the rights.
Enough said.
May 8th, 2006 at 8:39 pm
Had a quick look at the site – don’t you think you’re hyping this just a bit? There appear to be different levels of membership. Evidently once the standards have been agreed then anyone can license them. Not much of a conspiracy theory there is there? Maybe I missed something. Keep up the good work though. Surely standards are to the benefit of everyone. Free the music yes! GangstaFX