EMI says iTunes pricing doesn't prevent piracy

EMI Group Chairman Eric Nicoli Tuesday rebuffed Apple's assertion that a single price and/or a lower price for songs sold over the internet helps prevent piracy in the music industry. "I'm not persuaded by the argument that a single price deters piracy," Nicoli said at a news conference in response to comments from Apple's CEO Steve Jobs, who last month called music companies greedy for seeking variable prices for song downloads. "I'm not persuaded of the fact that a lower price deters piracy. What I am persuaded of is that making music more convenient and better value is a deterrent to piracy." According to the Dow Jones Newswire report, Apple's iTunes Music Store website accounts for around 82-percent of all legally downloaded music in the U.S., where Apple charges $1 per track. Variable pricing would allow record labels to levy more for the most recent hits and less for the older tracks in their back catalogues.

Filed under: industry
Other story tags: digital music/video