Seriously, people should understand where Microsoft is taking music or not taking it.

It is clear where the music industry wants to take things - momentarily rented music. You pay per play. No vinyl. No CD. No archival media at all. Anyone anywhere in the world wants to play music, an industry exec must first be compensated before the music is played. The consumer is allowed the opportunity to buy the right to listen to that piece of music, one time, during a single span of time - say a six-hour window - after which the right expires. Perfect.

Microsoft likes this idea. Lines up well with their culture and traditional role as corporate mugger, extortionist and consumer rapist. Also very consonant their vision of consumers as witless clowns who deserve nothing better than being having their heads cracked on a curb and their wallets pulled from their back pockets and, hey, while you're face down on the sidewalk . . . Consumer choice? Not if we get to the manufacturers, baby. Steve, hold asshat's shoulders. Quit your blubbering, clown. You love it when we take your ass like this, don't you, don't you, donkey boy? Scream for me, bitch, scream! . . . You get the picture.

MSFT will sell out the consumers, the manufacturers, the artists and even the record industry executives if they smell an advantage. They've already sold out the other manufacturers of portable audio devices and PC manufacturers by giving Universal the piracy levy. The record cartel will start suing them for money on hardware sales and on music sales - all of which will make downloadable music even more expensive. They are hoping this will make Apple's sales model untenable and press them to break their 99 cent download deal. The consumers somehow have only been partially sold out but it is clear Microsoft will deliver the temporary rental model to the recording industry cartel if they get something out of it.

All of this can be communicated compactly, riffing off the fact that MSFT has already figured out a way to time-bomb shared music. Only a matter of time until they're selling time-bombed music.

'Zune Today: Making Music Disappear - Zune Tomorrow: Pay for Every Play'

Something like that . . .

Sibilious