Audio

07/24/2003, 8:15am, EDT

Thursday, July 24th

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BuyMusic.com: ITMS TV commercial knockoffs

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Several readers have noted BuyMusic.com's AppleMusic.com commerical knockoffs (featured in WMF format on its Website), in which individuals are listening to music on iPod-like MP3 player singing popular songs: "Buymusic.com just ran an ad during Howard Stern's E! show that rips off Apple's iTunes Music Store [ITMS] ad, with ordinary people singing along holding a mp3 player in front of a white background. The device looks like a Creative Nomad Jukebox Zen." The commericals conclude with a tag line hinting at Apple's (currently) Mac-only service: "Music downloads for the rest of us."

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BuyMusic.com says it expects to sell up to 1 million songs a day; however, only some songs are cheaper and have more restrictive, non-uniform licensing requirements, according to The USA Today: "None can be moved to Apple's iPod, which has 50% of the digital music player market, though they do work with players from Creative Labs, Rio, Lyra and others." Others note that the service is selling personal information. Apple is expected to launch a Windows version of iTunes and the ITMS by the end of the year.

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119941 07/24, 8:21am, EDT Can you say

Cut your nose despite your face.
Or in this case, facelessness.

They lost face here.
I wonder if the "rest of us" will notice it?

Once again, Apple pioneers, someone steals, and the song goes on.

I'm so very happy to be an Apple person right now.

posted by MacNN.com Reader

119942 07/24, 8:23am, EDT selling personal info!!!

BuyMusic - selling personal info!!!

PC people are suckers. They have no class nor clue. I truely feel sorry for them.

posted by MacNN.com Reader

119945 07/24, 8:40am, EDT This only helps...

By using Apple's look and feel, a casual user will look at it and think, "oh, that's that Apple thing..." then, when they see that it's for Windows too, they'll think, "oh, Apple's thing is for Windows now?" They'll then go to Apple.com for more info.

If Apple's on their toes, they will place a note on the iTMS website with a tentative release date for the Windows version. This way, they do not lose focus.

Buy.com are idiots. This is free publicity for Apple.

posted by MacNN.com Reader

119947 07/24, 8:56am, EDT No comparison

You can tell they were hired actors and it just doesn't flow as smoothly as the Apple commercials. I've seen more convincing fakes by people using their DV Cam at home.

posted by MacNN.com Reader

119949 07/24, 9:21am, EDT not even bothering

I'm not even going to dignify buy.com by even visiting their site. Before, I didn't mind occassionaly buying a book or cd from them. But if they think people (their customers) are this stupid, it's not worth my time.

Buy.com just lost a customer.

posted by MacNN.com Reader

119950 07/24, 9:29am, EDT LAME

The commercials are really weak... are they supposed to be funny?

Also I've noticed that other companies are ripping off the switch commercials. Ameritrade has a switch commercial and an actor plays all the switchers. isn't spoofing apple's but is tryign to be funny.

Some e-matchmaking site rips it off too... but doesn't spoof it.

posted by MacNN.com Reader

119951 07/24, 9:30am, EDT It has begun

I knew as soon as Buymusic.com's shortcomings were known that word would spread quickly. The negative reports and news stories about there inconsistent licensing and pricing are appearing all over the web. It won't be long before we are saying bye to buymusic.com.

posted by MacNN.com Reader

119952 07/24, 9:41am, EDT Buy buy

I agree with what others have been saying about them ripping off Apple and rubbing their noses in it. I used to always buy things from them but those times are over. The statistics may show that Apple sells a tiny percentage of computers but that doesn't take into account the installed base. I also doesn't take into account how much consumer Macs are used verses PC's. I think they will see a much larger backlash against them than they expect.

posted by MacNN.com Reader

119953 07/24, 9:48am, EDT Tommy Lee ripping guitar?

So thats funny? Tommy Lee ripping the www.apple.com/music guitar appart??

posted by MacNN.com Reader

119956 07/24, 10:00am, EDT Re: Can you say

Just FYI, the phrase is actually "cut off your nose to spite your face", not "despite your face". It generally means to put yourself at some disadvantage in order to harm an adversary..... I'm not quite sure the phrase would apply here, although it could perhaps could be construed to have some relevance.

posted by MacNN.com Reader

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