It was bound to happen—only a question of when. AllofMP3, the Russian download service that sold music by the megabyte in formats and bitrates chosen by the user, has been under investigation by the Russian police. The recommendation at this point is that the service be prosecuted for operating criminally. AllofMP3 has steadfastly maintained that it offers a catalog cleared by some Russian agency, and I have never seen a clear explanation of what that agency is or how much authority it has to clear a global inventory of tracks. Most suspiciously, bands such as The Beatles, which do not authorize online release of their music, were well represented in AllofMP3. But the service is beautiful, providing a degree of customization undreamed of by iTMS and other services, all of which seem like stark rip-offs by comparison. It is still operating as of now.
AllofMP3 Under Attack--Probably Doomed
Reader Comments
(Page 1)2. It's about time. These guys were pirating music and selling it behind a veneer of legitimacy. I would be really surprised if any artist ever received a cent from them
Posted at 5:58AM on Dec 19th 2005 by Jaxon Rice
3. Looks like it wasn't so doomed after all, don't you think? American Laws don't continue beyond our borders, why is it so hard for silly American's to think outside their country?
Posted at 10:15AM on Dec 23rd 2005 by Your Mamma
1. Damn... I knew it was only a matter of time, but I'll miss it, still.
Posted at 5:58AM on Dec 19th 2005 by Laurie