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U2 go from rock legends to accused spammers

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Love Ozzy's comment!

It's sad sign of the times that music has just become data. I don't own any CDs, but have over 3,000 songs in my music collection. I also thought it was a bit rude that the U2 album automatically downloaded onto millions of devices without consent of the owners. Offering it for free is one thing, but just slipping it onto everybody's device is a bit rude!

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

So change the album name to "Songs of Guilty". Happy!

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"Heavy metal godfather Ozzy Osbourne made a similar argument but was more blunt, telling Britain’s Shortlist weekly of U2’s move: “It’s f***ing selfish, really.”"

Not sure if selfish is as accurate as presumptuous.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I've been reading JT for a long time and have enjoyed all the stories and comments, but never felt compelled to register until I read this article. (and a few other digital related ones as well)

I think the people propagating this concept of U2 giving away their album as "spam" do not understand the meaning of the word.

"Spam" as traditionally used, refers to receiving unwanted email advertising a product or service. In other words, it is forced on you without your permission. I do not see this here.

You are free to download or not download the album. It requires your permission and an act of will to do so.

That is NOT spam.

What I see instead is an attempt to create a controversy where none exists.

But I wonder by who?

0 ( +6 / -6 )

Overrated rock legends

-3 ( +5 / -8 )

A main reason I've sworn off Apple is the abomination know as "iTunes." From what I've heard, a copy of the album was placed on every online iTunes account with no notification, so unwary users who synched their devices found themselves listening to Bono during their morning jog.

Not the end of the world, certainly - but a type of spam nonetheless. iSpam, shall we. If you don't want some unknown entity to mess with your play list, eschew iTunes.

(Loved U2 back in the'80s, though; remember seeing "Rattle and Hum" completely baked and had to blinker my eyes with my hands for the duration.)

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Spam? No. Poorly executed? Yes. After the recent rampant data breaches an album "magically appears" No notice. Took an email to support to find out what was going on. Call Apple the spammer if you will. U2 was the product. Not the distributor.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Don't use iTunes and don't have any Apple products. There. Solved that.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Well, better U2 than AKB48 or some other J-Pop (or K-Pop) utter crap.

After all, U2 are legends and their music is sublime (and Bono makes a huge contribution to making the world a better place).

3 ( +5 / -2 )

I use iTunes daily and I have no copy? It didn't appear on my mac's or mobile devices.

You have to go to the iTune store, open your Account, click on 購入済み on the right-hand side, then click on the little cloud icon on the U2 album pic.

How having to do all that counts as 'spam' beats me, though.

3 ( +5 / -2 )

One of the most overrated bands ever. Not too far off from Oasis. And now dead on Dave Matthews Band. Ugh.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

It certainly is spam. It appeared downloaded to my iTunes automatically, and appeared on my phone when I synched it. The first I knew of it was when I heard it on shuffle. As it happens, I quite like U2 and appreciate the gift, but I would have found it very irritating if an AKB album had suddenly appeared. Putting stuff on people's computers and phones without asking is surely the very definition of spam.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

The only person I worship is myself, as no one could enjoy my company if I were dead. I do not spam people with my existance.

As long as U is not dropping me letters to get for free through iTunes, it is not spam.

By the way, why does iTunes call everything a purchase even if they are free?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Spammers for sure.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

Spammers for sure. I use to like U2, but not after this.

-4 ( +0 / -4 )

By the way, iTunes call everything a purchase even if they are free?

Not sure but Amazon's Kindle stores does the same. Puzzles me too.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

By the way, iTunes call everything a purchase even if they are free?

Not sure but Amazon's Kindle stores does the same. Puzzles me too.

Even though you don't pay money for it it is still a purchase

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Even though you don't pay money for it it is still a purchase

I've never heard of that definition before. I have only known the definition of purchase as being 'to get something by paying money for it'.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Bono pointed out that more people had already listened to “Songs of Innocence” than had bought the band’s top-selling album, 1987’s “The Joshua Tree.”

And after that, how many people looked up Apple's instructions on how to remove the dreck from their iTunes account?

“Just remember this: a lot of Irish blood, sweat and tears went into your junk mail,” he said sarcastically in an interview with San Francisco radio station KITS.

"a lot of blood", huh? So did the band get into a knife fight with each other? Maybe a club or two the the side of the head? Please.

“You want to be part of the zeitgeist, sometimes you have to smash and grab,” said Bono

Interesting. From "Sunday, Bloody Sunday" decrying senseless violence, to the band leader advocating a 'smash and grab" philosophy. Bono = sell-out.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Anyone who was offended by free U2 music makes me absolutely sick to my stomache- You'd literally have to have 0 problems in your life and are looking for something to get upset about if you consider this a move against smalltime bands. Music is NOT some quota that can be fulfilled by having x amount of songs. NOONE is going to say "oh well now that i have these 10 u2 songs I guess I don't have to purchase any more music now, im all set!" People will buy music that they're interested, and people who don't want to buy music will not buy music anyway. This has been proven time and time again.

I think that's enough japan today for today.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

ArtistAtLargeOCT. 13, 2014 - 11:48AM JST

I think the people propagating this concept of U2 giving away their album as "spam" do not understand the meaning of the word. "Spam" as traditionally used, refers to receiving unwanted email advertising a product or service. In other words, it is forced on you without your permission. I do not see this here.

Unwanted product is spam, whether it found it's way into your e-mail or, in this case, was forced on iTunes users unrequested. This is the crux of what happened.

You are free to download or not download the album. It requires your permission and an act of will to do so.

Apparently, you don't understand what happened. No one asked to download the album, it just showed up announced in peoples iTunes libraries one day.

What I see instead is an attempt to create a controversy where none exists.

Again, you're not following the story as close to a dozen web pages popped-up later that day so that the unwanted music could be wiped from your device library as well as you iCloud. The latter a first for iTunes as there is still no way to delete unwanted music from iCloud.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

That new CM of Bono pressing his giant nose to the camera and wailing isn't helping either. Click.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

It showed up on my phone, an email to Apple and doing some stuff on the iPhone to get rid of it. It is still in the cloud. A pain in the neck.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

few predict that U2 has created a new model, with lesser-known bands unlikely to survive by giving away their music.

Actually, smaller bands make all their money from touring. A band needs to sell at least 500,000 copies of an album to start making money off album sales. So for new bands, they'd be much better of getting their music out their and known, by giving it away as free downloads, than they would be by selling it.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Even though you don't pay money for it it is still a purchase.

On what grounds? Purchase is normally defined as acquisition through payment.

I would guess that the reason Apple and Amazon - and presumably others like Google, though I wouldn't know - pull this is because it helps to muddy the distinction for a lot of their customers between when they're paying for something and when they're not.

I said, Even if you don't paid money a purchase is defined by the acquisition of something by paying for it, but it doesn't say strictly what kind of payment, most common of course is the use of money, but there are also other kinds of "currencies" on the net, coupons, gift cards, accumulated points on your credit card/email/NetizenID, etc.

What happens on these "purchases for free" on apps in Google and Apple where you download the item and even though you don't pay money, you pay in watching extra ads on the app, so it is kinda an indirect payment since the advertising companies are paying for your "Free app".

0 ( +0 / -0 )

I like U2 and Itunes but I really do not like the TV CM and I do not find it appealing if they are GIVING IT AWAY FOR FREE! If it was say, at a HUGE DISCOUNT, for 100 YEN etc...I think more people would become interested but when something is FREE?? Where are those STRINGS?? Something is FISHY, IMHO.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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