Re:No (Score 1)

I keep seeing this with a healthy dose of skepticism. With the major labels making $1 a tune through Apple and whoever else, and Yahoo charging $5 a month for DRMed rental tracks, I can't see why the major labels would make a move toward a more relaxed (and lower priced) form of business. Until I see it, I'm going to go out on my prophetic limb and call shenanigans.

However, assuming that this does come to pass...

I don't wanna sound like an industry shill, but as it stands today, very few artists ever make any money on a CD release - it's all in merchandising and live shows, plus endorsements and tv/movie deals.

What this sounds like to me is that the major labels would be transitioning away from physical media sales to a pseudo-free distribution of recorded music online...and using the revenue from this 'isp fee' as a subsidy for artist exploration, development, and promotion.

That's not to say they'd completely abandon physical media - there will always be consumers who want to buy a physical item with liner notes, etc. This just seems like a way the labels could get paid for the downloading that's already going on, and it would give them an excuse to stop suing everyone in sight.

'Course, it would also put the crosshairs on the customers of any ISP who refused to implement the charge; anyone uploading from a non-sanctioned ISP would find themselves a much easier target for the RIAA's goons/lawyers.