[Saxon]

Regarding music, let me ask tesco samoa if the music club he is part of returns some money to the artists/labels or not? I agree with you, 300% mark up is hard to swallow and I would be happier paying less, as long as some of it went back to the creator. If an Online retailer can give me the product I want with less mark up than that shop on Main Street, I will happily go to that store, as long as some of the cash makes it’s way back to the guy the artist.

The single song idea is great and, as Hadrian pointed out, paying more for a good CD is better than paying for a CD with only one good song on it. The music industry could do some creative things with current technology and still make good cash.

If I was the hypothetical guy who buys a SE4 license and then downloads it from a Warez site, I would follow up with an email to Richard suggesting that he investigate the possibility of creating a similar download procedure. We had to get some commercial anti virus software off the net and once our credit card cleared, they sent us a password. We then went to their site, entered the password and got a download. This allows legitimate purchasers quick access to product and skips the waiting. One could also offer a lower price, as no physical goods are created and no shipping and handling is incurred. Finally, you would never have back orders or overstocking problems.

However, I would also tell Richard that I work in the non-profit sector and don’t have a clue how to run a business, so he should take my ideas with a grain of salt!