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Amazon Won't Copy Protect Music
May 16, 2007







The New York Times is running an article entitled, "Amazon to Sell
Music Without Copy Protection."

The article states, "Amazon, the Internet's most successful seller of
physical CDs, today announced plans to introduce a music
download store later this year, selling songs and albums in the MP3
format without the anti-copying protection used by most online
music retailers."

According to the article, " David Card, an analyst at Jupiter
Research, said Amazon's store would immediately position Amazon
as a serious rival to Apple and its popular iTunes service. 'We've
been waiting for Amazon to be a serious player in digital music for
some time,' he said. 'They know how to sell music and this is a
powerful endorsement of the MP3 strategy.'"

Read the article!!


Discussion-Starters for Younger Children

  • Ask your students what their favorite song is. What do they
    like about this song?
  • Consider asking students to interview five people to
    find out their favorite songs.

  • If your students made an art project would they want
    anybody to be able to copy it to make the same thing that
    they made? Why/why not?
  • Students could write several short sentences in
    response to these questions.

  • How do your students listen to music (i.e., CDs, online,
    MP3, etc.)? Can they think of any other way to listen to
    music? Ask your students if they can think of any new ways
    to listen to music that have not yet been invented.
  • Consider making a list of the multiple ways that
    people can listen to music, with students. If possible
    bring in records, 8-tracks and even tape cassettes to
    show students.

  • Do your students think that people who write the music,
    sing the music and play the instruments for the songs that
    they like to hear deserve to get paid? Why/why not? Do they
    think that somebody's job could be writing music? Explain!!
  • Consider asking students to write their own songs.

Discussion-Starters for Older Students

  • Vocabulary terms to discuss: Speculation; Label; Forgo; and,
    Digital.

  • If your students were musicians how would they feel after
    hearing the announcement that Amazon will sell digital music
    without copy protection? Why would they feel this way?
  • Consider asking students to write reflective essays in
    which they answer these questions.

  • Ask your students to explain the difference between a major
    label and an independent label. Do your students think that
    it's easier for an independent label to grow their business and
    become a major player in the recording industry today or in
    the days before companies sold music on the Internet.
    Explain!!
  • Students could pretend that they are executives at an
    independent music label and plan strategies for
    growing their business.

  • Ask your students if they think that consumers will trade
    music amongst themselves when they have the technical
    ability to do so, despite the fact that it is illegal. Can your
    students think of any technical way to allow consumers to
    copy songs onto all of their music devices without also
    permitting them to share their music with other people.
    Explain!!
  • Technologically savvy students might really enjoy the
    challenge of developing new technology. Even
    students who don't spend much time with technology
    might have creative ideas.
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