Piracy still an issue for record labels

For years, Internet users have been able to store their computer files on-line as a way of backing up their hard drives. So it should be no surprise that companies have started to store music files on the Internet. This of course has lead to cries of piracy from the record companies. This week, EMI filed a lawsuit against MP3tunes.com, a site that allows users to upload music files to a music "locker," which can then be accessed by wireless devices such as cell phones. This allows users to access their files from pretty much anywhere, and also provides a means of protecting their files.

The argument that EMI has raised is that MP3tunes.com allows anybody to access the locker, not just the legal owners of the music files.

With the record companies' fight against peer-to-peer file sharing and now on-line music lockers, it would seem that the major labels are bent on making sure that CDs are the major form of music distribution. This is another case of a large corporation being unwilling to change its philosophy in order to embrace new technology and remain a major competitor in its market. This failure to change has been the downfall of companies such as IBM and AT&T, and if record companies wish to remain competitive they should stop fighting the coupling of technology and the music industry. Surely, EMI could set up its own music locker, that would allow users to upload music files, and could create measures to ensure that only the legitimate owners of the music files could access the site. No matter what EMI chooses to do, it should stop fighting against technology and learn to embrace it.

To read more about EMI's lawsuit, go to CNET.com. For more about music lockers, see Minyanville.com.