Last.fm in bed with RIAA over U2? Apparently not, says Last.fm
0 comments at Saturday, February 21, 2009I'd like to issue a full and categorical denial of this. We've never had any request for such data by anyone, and if we did we wouldn't consent to it.
Of course we work with the major labels and provide them with broad statistics, as we would with any other label, but we'd never personally identify our users to a third party - that goes against everything we stand for.
As far as I'm concerned Techcrunch have made this whole story up.
A response from Russ, an employee at Last.fm, over allegations made by TechCrunch recently that Last.fm had essentially handed over massive chunks of private user data to the RIAA so they could find out who was listening to (and therefore, most probably sharing and/or downloading) prerelease leaks of the new U2 album.
Who's telling the truth? As long as no British laws were broken, I don't really care, and I'm sure we'll find out soon enough anyway once the FUD has dissipated. (I'm sure the RIAA and U2's manager are conveniently forgiving Universal Australia for 'accidentally' making U2's latest album available for digital download via their web site a few weeks before its official launch... One rule for them, another for us, just as usual.
To be honest, I'm far more interested at the moment in an announcement from Indian scientists who say they've developed a method of using enzymes to take carbon dioxide emissions and convert them into things like cement and other useful building materials. How cool is that!
Much love to the fabulously geeky xkcd, as always. Buy some of their stuff and support Randall, the merch is as witty (and enduring) as his comics. :) (If you like, buy some for me!)
So good, even I want one! And I hate Macs!
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