The (Musical) Value of 99 Cents

"The industry isn't going to continue to allow itself to be harmed without defending itself. We've already seen the first responses. In the U.S., the Recording Industry Association of America has started to pursue downloaders in the courts. The U.K. followed. Since then, we've seen a drastic decline in the practice. The market's growing and the industry is making money. If the price is 99 cents per song online, the music industry gets two-thirds, 66 cents. That's OK. Most people say, 'I'm not going to break the law over 99 cents. I'll pay.' The key is that the online services have to be user friendly." -- Gunter Thielen head of German media conglomerate Bertelsmann AG quoted in the Washington Post on why music companies aren't running scared from online downloads