14 DAY TRIAL // Amazon launched a cloud storage and a music locker service earlier today, taking lead in the race to offer such a service to users. The product may not be revolutionary, but it can certainly be useful and, since it's free, it's probably going to gain quite a few users 'converting' many to the cloud in the process.
But the legality of this type of services has been put into doubt, by those that would have to gain if they were indeed illegal, mind you.
Amazon isn't worried though, it launched the locker service without any type of licensing from the music labels and doesn't believe it needs one.
"We don't need a license to store music. The functionality is the same as an external hard drive," Craig Pape, director of music at Amazon, said.
As such, Amazon went ahead and launched the service without any type of agreement with the music labels. In fact, it only notified them last week when it told the four major labels that is going to launch a cloud music locker service.
The record labels, understandably, aren't happy. Warner Music Group, in particular, is upset, the rumor says. Sony Music Entertainment is not happy either about the unlicensed status of the service. If this will lead to any sort of legal actions remains to be seen.
The big labels are very trigger happy when it comes to lawsuits and 'illegal' use, but they've been adapting to the digital landscape, albeit slowly and erratically.
Amazon MP3 is the second biggest music store after Apple's iTunes in the US but is considerably smaller. It's all the music labels have though. And the labels may even be willing to put aside Amazon's move as long as someone challenges Apple.
This is why they've been happy to negotiate with Google to open up a digital music store along with a locker service. But Google is likely negotiating a license for the locker as well, which is why it's taking so long. Apple is probably doing the same.
Amazon gambled and pushed ahead with an unlicensed service for a chance to overtake its rivals. Common sense says that people should be able to store and access their legally purchased tracks from wherever they want, but with the type of copyright law abuse that's common these days, it's hard to say if common sense will prevail.