downloads

 Perhaps if labels make it easier for fans to purchase, they will buy more music; or so the theory goes.  MySpace Music, imeem and Spotify are just a few of the sites adding buy buttons.  Now some new players who each already have millions of website visitors are entering the online music retailing game.  

The Allman Brothers Band has filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group (UMG) for around $13 million over royalties from CDs and digital downloads.The lawsuit seeks payment for some of the Southern rock group's songs recorded for its first label Capricorn Records, from 1969 to 1980, when the band had such hits as "Melissa," "Ramblin' Man," and "Midnight Rider."

California Assemblyman Charles Calderon (D-City of Industry) wants to impose a sales tax on music and movies downloaded from the Internet in order to ease the states budget shortfall.Calderon's proposal would raise the cost of an iTunes download from 99 cents to $1.07. He believes the Board of Equalization should update a 75-year-old law that authorizes sales-tax collections on tangible personal property. Music and movies downloaded off the Internet are not considered tangible goods.

Earlier this week USA Today

Mozilla reached a milestone recently as Firefox hit 500 million downloads. If that were people, that'd be about a twelfth of the earth, or about eight percent of everybody.

Internet users in the UK who go online and illegally download music and movies could have their Internet access revoked according to plans the government is considering. A draft proposal says that Internet service providers would have to monitor users who accessed pirated content through their accounts. The government says that plans are in an early stage and it is working on final regulations. Six million users a year are estimated to download files illegally in the UK and music and film companies say it is costing them millions in lost revenue annually.

Internet users in the UK say that being able to download DVD-quality films fast is the service they most want from next-generation broadband, according to a survey from Broadbandchoices.co.uk.

It’s been a big fortnight for NBC—first Hulu launched, now NBC Direct launches. Announced in September, NBC Direct is a service designed to allow viewers to download NBC shows for free.