The Price of Exclusivity

[Blue Tyson]

21st century media business again. Not selling stuff that people want.

[Andrew H.]

Originally Posted by teh603

Have any celebrities lost enough money to make a meaningful impact on their lifestyle? Have any C-level executives had to take a pay cut in the last decade or so?

And would meaningful destruction to some of these big businesses actually be healthier for the market than keeping them propped up and protected?

Music sales were $13 billion in 1999 and $6 billion in 2009. I think that's good evidence that some executives have lost their job, and some musicians have lost their livelihood.

And terms like "propped up and protected" are disingenuous.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

Music sales were $13 billion in 1999 and $6 billion in 2009. I think that's good evidence that some executives have lost their job, and some musicians have lost their livelihood.

And terms like "propped up and protected" are disingenuous.

Agreed. I don't think anyone is "propping up or protecting" other than the companies themselves by intentionally blocking new tech and protecting the status quo ... now certainly some of these corporations have politicians in their pockets but just as certainly not across the board. Change is difficult to accept whether personally, corporately or socially.

The thing is, they would be better in the long run to embrace the new technologies and learn to incorporate them into their current business practices, because if they don't there are companies out there that will and the old dinosaurs will lose out to them.

Still the things like exclusive deals are going to happen regardless. It's business.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Agreed. I don't think anyone is "propping up or protecting" other than the companies themselves by intentionally blocking new tech and protecting the status quo ... now certainly some of these corporations have politicians in their pockets but just as certainly not across the board. Change is difficult to accept whether personally, corporately or socially.

The thing is, they would be better in the long run to embrace the new technologies and learn to incorporate them into their current business practices, because if they don't there are companies out there that will and the old dinosaurs will lose out to them.

Still the things like exclusive deals are going to happen regardless. It's business.

It's sorta like Marriage, Kenny.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by frahse

It's sorta like Marriage, Kenny.

I know you have your man-purse love with Amazon, but really man, do keep it in the Politics and Religion section.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by kennyc

Agreed. I don't think anyone is "propping up or protecting" other than the companies themselves by intentionally blocking new tech and protecting the status quo ... now certainly some of these corporations have politicians in their pockets but just as certainly not across the board. Change is difficult to accept whether personally, corporately or socially.

The thing is, they would be better in the long run to embrace the new technologies and learn to incorporate them into their current business practices, because if they don't there are companies out there that will and the old dinosaurs will lose out to them.

Still the things like exclusive deals are going to happen regardless. It's business.

You are right Kennyc. Jeff Bezos and Amazon are skinning those old dinosaurs alive.
Who more than Amazon and (even I must admit) Apple has embraced the new technologies and seen such success!

I see that you recognize and revere the NEW TECH. (Amazon, forever!)

Right on man! Right on.!

[Hellmark]

Originally Posted by Andrew H.

Music sales were $13 billion in 1999 and $6 billion in 2009. I think that's good evidence that some executives have lost their job, and some musicians have lost their livelihood.

And terms like "propped up and protected" are disingenuous.

Are those figures total sales, or album sales only?

[Fbone]

Originally Posted by Hellmark

Are those figures total sales, or album sales only?

They call it total revenue (US).

http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/02/news...usic_industry/

There may be an increase for 2011.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31001_3-20...n-music-sales/

[JSWolf]

Originally Posted by xg4bx

i don't know why exclusivity is such a dirty word, it has existed in some form since the inception of exchanging money for goods.

Let me make it simple for you to understand.

Take CDs for example. I have seen Target exclusive editions. You can't go to Best Buy and get one. But if you go to Target, you can get one. It will play on any CD player. Sure, you have to buy from a store you may not want to buy from, but if you do, if will work with the CD players you have.

Now, when Amazon has an exclusive eBook, it's not the same thing. It won't work as is on any other standalone reader. It's tied to a Kindle. This is what the issue is.

If Sony released a movie you wanted to buy on blu-ray only and you only had a DVD player, it would not work. You could not buy it and watch it at home. This is what an exclusive Amazon eBook is for those of us without a Kindle.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Let me make it simple for you to understand.

Take CDs for example. I have seen Target exclusive editions. You can't go to Best Buy and get one. But if you go to Target, you can get one. It will play on any CD player. Sure, you have to buy from a store you may not want to buy from, but if you do, if will work with the CD players you have.

Now, when Amazon has an exclusive eBook, it's not the same thing. It won't work as is on any other standalone reader. It's tied to a Kindle. This is what the issue is.

If Sony released a movie you wanted to buy on blu-ray only and you only had a DVD player, it would not work. You could not buy it and watch it at home. This is what an exclusive Amazon eBook is for those of us without a Kindle.

You just need a Kindle App JSWolf.

[jhempel24]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

Let me make it simple for you to understand.

Take CDs for example. I have seen Target exclusive editions. You can't go to Best Buy and get one. But if you go to Target, you can get one. It will play on any CD player. Sure, you have to buy from a store you may not want to buy from, but if you do, if will work with the CD players you have.

Now, when Amazon has an exclusive eBook, it's not the same thing. It won't work as is on any other standalone reader. It's tied to a Kindle. This is what the issue is.

If Sony released a movie you wanted to buy on blu-ray only and you only had a DVD player, it would not work. You could not buy it and watch it at home. This is what an exclusive Amazon eBook is for those of us without a Kindle.

So buy a physical copy, and go to the darknet and download a scanned version that will look just as good. That's my solution, legal not, I have a digital copy and own one bagged and boarded to be handed down to my son and eventually sold when the country goes bankrupt and gas is $35.99 a gallon.

[xg4bx]

i'm still not understanding what the problem is, either get a kindle (or app) or go without.


maybe its because i'm a gamer where exclusivity has been the norm from day 1 that its not a big deal to me. i can buy a nintendo game anywhere i want but i need a nintendo to use it, i cant play it on my xbox. if i want to play said game i go buy a nintendo, otherwise i go without.

i don't know why going without is a foreign concept. when that happens to me i think "oh that sucks. oh well" and i go without. i don't feel entitled to have access to everything. if i want it badly enough i'll buy access to it.

i'm ok with the practice because if i ran a business i would want to give people a reason to shop at my store over my competitor. that is competition. if exclusives give more perceived value to the amazon brand and give more people a reason to shop at amazon good for them. if nobody competed there would be no drive to improve, business has always been a game of one upmanship.

people choose iphones because it gives them things that other phones dont. people choose amazon because it gives them things other retailers don't, including exclusive books.

is it "fair"? no, no its not. but thats life and thats business. sometimes you've got to pay to play.

[JSWolf]

I'm getting it that some of you just don't get it

[murraypaul]

Originally Posted by JSWolf

I'm getting it that some of you just don't get it

Or perhaps you don't.
Video games are a perfect example of an industry where exclusives are extremely common and accepted as normal business practice. Sony/Microsoft create or buy gaming studios, and have them only produce games for their own consoles. If you want to play those games, you have to buy the corresponding console.

[tompe]

Originally Posted by murraypaul

Or perhaps you don't.
Video games are a perfect example of an industry where exclusives are extremely common and accepted as normal business practice. Sony/Microsoft create or buy gaming studios, and have them only produce games for their own consoles. If you want to play those games, you have to buy the corresponding console.

But that is not comparable. For ebooks you can usually buy the paper copy. So the default case (the paper book) is that no restrictions concerning readers apply. So introducing ebook restrictions is going from no restriction to restrictions which seems to be something that is not wanted.