Amazon Competes With Apple iTunes – Sells DRM-Free Song MP3s

Amazon.com has announced that it is taking on Apple iTunes by selling mp3s without the digital rights management (DRM) designed to prevent you from transferring mp3s freely between devices. Kudos to Amazon for acknowledging what consumers want and giving it to them. Apple is too much in bed with RIAA on copyright infringement issues to take a leap of faith and let consumers use music they purchase as they see fit. Apple will either adapt or get punished by the marketplace.

Hat tip to Joshua Chaffin and Aline van Duyn at FT.com.

Filed Under: Copyrights, RIAA Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Net Neutrality Back In The Spotlight

With big players like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon pushing the issue, the FTC will revisit the issue of net neutrality versus tiered pricing.

The heavy lobbying and campaign contributions are designed to tilt the playing field further to the advantage of the big online companies at the expense of small business and individual consumers.

Watch this issue closely as it will affect your pocketbook.

Hat tip to Technocrat.

Filed Under: Federal Trade Commission, Net Neutrality Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

If The Internet Shut Down, Would You Still Have A Business?

Although e-commerce is playing a bigger role, doing business via the Internet should not be mistaken for having an “Internet business.”

The Internet is a potent medium to reach others but it is not a stable business model in and of itself. If you aren’t operating offline too, you risk having no business.

An overstatement? Not really.

At one time, television infomercials were outlawed…and it destroyed enterprises that solely relied upon it to sell their goods and services.

The likelihood that the U.S. government would try that with the Internet is minimal…but it isn’t the biggest threat.

Yesterday, computer hackers took out at least 3 of the 13 root servers that serve as the Internet’s backbone. If they had succeeded in taking down the ‘Net, how much money would you have made yesterday?

Big online companies, such as eBay and Amazon.com, are diversifying into offline marketing. Solo Internet marketing gurus are doing the same.

Don’t put all of your eggs in the Internet basket. Those who are hacking it (including part of the Chinese army) could care less about the rule of law and you won’t be able to collect damages from them in a civil suit for lost business.

Filed Under: Internet Lawsuits, Internet Marketing, Marketing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,
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