[UPDATE: Oh, look. Apple has caved.]
Now, I emphatically agree with Taylor Swift that what Apple is doing with its upcoming new Apple Music service is wrong. If you’re wondering what they’re doing, well, essentially, a company worth 700 billion dollars has decided that during the three month period when Apple Music is ‘free’ to a new user it won’t have to pay royalties on any of the intellectual properties available to that user during that time. Because [expletive deleted] you, it’s Apple and they effectively have a monopoly on the music streaming industry. Anyway, as I said, while I agree with Taylor Swift – and note that I have no interest in using a product that deliberately doesn’t pay royalties to creators – I do have to disagree with her on this:
In a letter posted on her Tumblr page on Sunday called “To Apple, Love Taylor,” Ms. Swift spoke of a situation that has sent shock waves through the music industry: Apple has finally announced a subscription streaming service to compete with Spotify, Rhapsody and Deezer, but says that it will pay no royalties during a three-month period when customers can try it free.
Ms. Swift called the policy “shocking, disappointing and completely unlike this historically progressive company,” and added that she was not just speaking for herself.
Disappointing, yes. Completely unlike progressive thinking? Hardly. Involuntary redistribution of resources for the ‘greater good’ (as defined by a certain sort) is a standard trick in that crowd. Which means that it’s not particularly shocking, either. Continue reading Taylor Swift v. Apple Music, and why you should root for Taylor Swift.