No Rock And Roll Fun

INFLATION RUN WILD: Spot the odd quote out here, in reference to the BPI refusing to allow CD Wow to take advantage of the world marketplace for CDs:

"It is hugely disappointing," said Philip Robinson, director of CD Wow. "It is very much the consumer who loses out."

"It's terrible news," said Phil Evans, principal policy adviser at the Consumers' Association. "We are back to Fortress UK and Ireland. "It's just a travesty that an industry is allowed to segment the global market and charge higher prices in some parts than others. What is the point of global free trade?"

"It is not the consumer that will suffer, just CD Wow's profit margins. They made a lot of money out of cheap CDs," one [BPI] insider said.

[All quotes taken from the Financial Times, with thanks to Alan C]

Of course, it's interesting that the record industry spokesperson claims that "the consumer won't suffer" - eh? In what way is having to pay an extra two quid for a Dido disc not suffering? (Okay, Dido a bad example, since you could argue her fans deserve to suffer a bit, but the point remains the same) And the implication that CD Wow "made a lot of money out of cheap CDs" from someone who works for an industry that makes obscence piles from expensive CDs caused us to choke on our breakfast brownie. Maybe we should all buy our CDs direct from Singapore?