[Infowarrior] - Sony raises Whitney Houston prices 30m after death
Richard Forno
rforno at infowarrior.org
Mon Feb 13 20:32:32 CST 2012
If there ever was a case to be made to encourage 'piracy' I think this is it. -- rick
iTunes, Sony Raise Prices on Whitney Houston Albums, Songs
Executives at Sony briefly went green over Whitney Houston's memory.
By Chris Roberts
Monday, Feb 13, 2012 | Updated 3:53 PM PST
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/iTunes-Sony-Raise-Prices-on-Whitney-Houston-Albums-Songs-139249448.html
Whitney Houston albums somehow, for some reason, cost about $5 more on iTunes than they did before the famed singer was found dead Saturday at the age of 48, according to multiple reports.
Hmm.
DigitalSpy and several United Kingdom news sources were among the first to report that copies of Houston's "Ultimate Collection" album were selling for $12.60 on Monday, exactly $4.70 more than what they sold for prior to Houston's death.
Apple representatives did not comment. Sony Music was accused of profiteering after the price of Houston's album was jacked up 60 percent at around 4 a.m. California time on Sunday, according to the UK Guardian. By Monday, the album was back to its regular price, the newspaper reported.
Sony Music raised the wholesale price of Houston's back catalog in what fans called a "cynical ploy."
Right now, it's possible to grab Houston favorites for more-reasonable sums. For single songs, Houston's arguably most-famous hit, "I Will Always Love You" from "The Bodyguard" soundtrack, sells for $0.69. Nearly every other Houston track sells for $1.29.
Copies of "The Basics," a 15-track Greatest Hits album, will set you back $18.45. It's not immediately clear what the record cost prior to her death, but $18.45 is comparatively steep among iTunes album prices.
Houston titles are, predictably, some of the best-selling items on iTunes right now.
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