Universal Says that Owners of non-Zune Players are Thieves

Last week, Microsoft agreed to pay Universal a fee for every Zune sold. From my point of view, that is just an idiotic thing to do. As long as Universal gets its money from selling their music, why should someone pay them just because their product has the capabilities to play music?

"We felt that any business that's built on the bedrock of music we should share in," Universal chief Doug Morris says.

About this, electronista.com wrote: Significantly, the deal is not directly linked to content shipped with the player: its preloaded music is provided through music labels with no clear connection to Universal, such as Sub Pop and V2, indicating that Universal no longer feels satisfied with music sales themselves. Microsoft is reportedly in early discussions with other labels for similar fees. The change in approach towards music revenue may have future ramifications for Apple, whose

deals with music labels have so far extended only to profits from iTunes content sales and have not affected iPod hardware.

Well, that is just it. I don't care about what kind of deal Microsoft has with Universal, but why should Apple's users, for example, have to suffer? Steve Jobs has been trying for years to convince everyone to sell their music on iTunes at acceptable prices and now, Universal is spoiling all the fun.
What gives them the right to ask for a fee for every mp3 player sold I can not really imagine. One might not even play their music on that mp3 player. Why pay? Just in case?

Universal accused all owners of music players beyond Microsoft's Zune of stealing music, according to Billboard.
Universal CEO Doug Morris made the public revelation that the music label refused to license its content to Microsoft's online store without royalties, arguing controversially that his company required compensation outside of direct music sales regardless of whether or not Universal artists' music is ever copied to the player, electronista.com reports.

These devices are just repositories for stolen music, and they all know it, Morris said, and also hinted that will try to negotiate similar terms with Apple and other online store owners in the future.

Now, as long as Apple's customers buy their music online, doesn't that mean that Universal earns extra money? I'll wake up tomorrow and see that computer prices were raised because Universal wants a piece of them. Soon they will want us to pay them just because a computer can play their products. Well, isn't that ignorant?
I know that some would say that they don't really care because they will not actually pay, Microsoft or Apple will pay.

Well, this is just the beginning. If Microsoft pays 1 dollar, Apple will have to pay 2 because of idiotic reasons like "they are more popular" and soon, every studio will want money that they do not really deserve. Does someone think that these fees won't affect the prices of the mp3 players? I think they will.

And when someone starts saying that I am a thief just because I use an mp3 player then that bothers me. Mr. Morris, please go back to your cave and let everyone be. Do you really expect to stop piracy by asking for more money? Steve made a wonderful job in providing music at reasonable prices so that most would rather pay for it than illegally copying it. Why do you want to ruin everything?