"somebody" <x### [at] ycom> wrote in message news:4a27d262$1@news.povray.org...
> In a yet another alternative universe, it would have been a perfect
> opportunity to teach a youngster that one may not always be able to get 
> what
> she wants.

At that point, it became my own personal obsession.  Touche, nevertheless.

>
> Philosophical question: Are we entitled to be able to have access to any 
> art
> on any device so long as it technically possible? Do not the decisions of 
> a
> vendor/copyright holder count for anything, even when they may be 
> perceived
> as arbitrary?

If I offer something for sale, I would have absolutely no expectations 
regarding to whom I could or could not sell it.
"Hi.  I want to buy a recording from you."
"Ok, but are you black?  Do you live in China?  Are you a homosexual?  If 
you've answered 'yes' to any of these questions, I won't sell it to you."

But the real problem with this argument is the implication that the artists 
(copyright holders) have actually determined that they do not want to sell 
their music outside of Japan.  They haven't.  The music industry has made 
this decision for them, so that they can maintain greater control over 
pricing within various markets, and in so doing, they are actually denying 
the artists the money that they could otherwise obtain easily.  The reason I 
can't buy it is simply because they have not made a determination as to what 
to charge this other market.  And the reason that they haven't, is simply 
because it's currently a small overseas market.  It's cheaper for them (Big 
Music) to ignore it, than to spend the time determining what prices to 
charge in the various market-places.  Plus, this does not even get into 
licensing and distribution issues, which, again the vast majority of artists 
themselves could not care less about.  "I recorded a song, and I want to 
sell it to anyone who will pay."

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