Friday, June 13, 2008

eBay and the future of music

Online auction site eBay is the epitome of free market economics. A transparent public space where traders buy and sell and the market decides the price. Of course, anyone that “owns” a free market just can’t resist tampering with it and eBay has committed the all-too-obvious sin of imposing Paypal (which it owns) as the preferred payment system for Australian traders. Fuck them for their arrogance.

The market forces that drive eBay have also driven down the price of recorded music. That’s a good thing on the surface for buyers, but not so hot if you think rock and roll shouldn’t just be a commodity. Food for thought about that and a few other issues in the London Review here.

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