“Recently, the Spotify antitrust case officially opened in the District Court of Oakland, California. The plaintiff’s attorney claimed that in order to maintain its monopoly on the digital music market, Logic squeezed out competitors’ services through two software updates and blocked MP3 players or music from competitors. Store competition.”
"Logic said that updating its Spotify software was not to crack down on competitors and restrict consumers, but to protect its record contracts and plug security holes in the software."
"We will focus on this case and continue to follow it!"
"..."
A "mute" pattern suddenly appeared on the TV screen. Little Edgar Bronfman put down the remote control and spoke quickly:
"Doug, this is our opportunity, a great opportunity, if only now we can put pressure on logic together."
"Universal is not interested in digital rights management."
There was a sense of rejection in Doug Morris's words.
"Haha, I don't want that useless digital rights management either, but we can trade it and let Lu make concessions in exchange for price options." Little Edgar Bronfman sat on the sofa and tilted his head. Erlang Legs said, "Yeah, this is our ultimate goal, to firmly control the freedom of pricing in our own hands."
"What will Lu Hui think if we do this?"
Doug Morris is wavering, always keeping in mind the two major cooperation projects of YouTube and headphones: "He will feel that these companies are under our instructions, and we are their backend, which will definitely intensify the already delicate relationship. If one is not good, it will easily Breaking up, we still have a long, long collaboration with Logic.”
"Alright alright."
Edgar Bronfman Jr. tried his best to lobby, but still couldn't persuade Universal Music to join the war. He said helplessly: "Even if we don't directly support those five independent labels, we still have to reach a consensus that we don't support logic."
Hanging up the phone, he cursed, "Fuck, Doug! If I'm still at the helm of Universal, I'm going to teach you a lesson, you cowardly and greedy loser!"
After scolding for a while, I then called Andy Lack from Sony Music. He was smoother than Doug Morris and his attitude was ambiguous.
He either answered the question incorrectly or was vague, neither agreeing nor objecting. He constantly praised Edgar Bronfman Jr. as the leading brother of the four major music giants, and secretly encouraged him to be the first to charge, and Sony would follow. thereafter.
Widowed Bichi!
Little Edgar Bronfman was so angry that he almost dropped his cell phone. How could he make good music with these insects?
Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the figure of Steve Cooper appearing at the open door. He looked solemn, holding a stack of newspapers and printouts in his hands, and asked in an incriminating tone:
"Are these also your backup plans?"
"What?"
Little Edgar Bronfman took it doubtfully, turned it over and over, his eyes immediately dilated, and what was reflected in his eyes was -
"iTunes Monopoly: Crimes and Punishments of a Closed Ecosystem".
"Apple is accused of using iTunes to monopolize music copyrights to suppress cheap players."
"Apple's iTunes and iPod Bundling Suspected of Illegal Monopoly"...
Some were screenshots of Yahoo news, and some were from influential newspapers such as the New York Times. He was instantly panicked and blurted out: "Who did this? Cooper, I didn't let anyone find fault with Apple. , just paying for these money-loving media to focus their firepower on logic!”
"It's not you."
Steve Cooper looked carefully and saw that his face didn't look fake, so he couldn't help but frown, "Who could that be?"
"Perhaps there are also people who are dissatisfied with logic like us and have been dissatisfied with Apple for a long time, and want to take this opportunity to fight back against Apple."
Little Edgar Bronfman said as he watched.
Steve Cooper said: "But for us, it's terrible!"
"You might as well speak more clearly?" Little Edgar Bronfman suddenly raised his head, his eyes full of confusion.
"How can we eat this meal when two tables of guests come to the same table?"
Steve Cooper frowned: "Whether it's dealing with Spotify or dealing with Logic, it's just dealing with one company, but antitrust involves Apple, which is completely different in nature. If one thing goes wrong, the entire conflict may escalate into numbers." The battle between the mall camp and the music companies! Remember the battle over the Digital Millennium Copyright Act?”
Little Edgar Bronfman suddenly realized that what was originally a fight between a small company and a large company has escalated into a battle of interests between camps. No matter how much logic is resented by peers, butts determine heads, and the interests are at stake, regardless of RealNetworks. It’s still iTunes, and the guns are always open to the outside world.
"This is getting more and more complicated."
Steve Cooper took out a cigarette and held it in his mouth, his gloomy face becoming more and more livid. The five independent labels apparently had no money and no power. In the territory of America, they used to use the small to challenge the big and fight head-on. There is almost no chance of winning. Put another apple on the table...
No matter what, there must be a platform for record giants like Warner Music, but at this time, we can't end up alone. That doesn't mean that we don't have three hundred taels of silver here, and we admit that we are the mastermind behind it.
What's more, the size of one family is not enough.
Neither advancing nor retreating!
"Cooper, it's not that serious, right?"
Edgar Bronfman Jr. picked up a lighter and lit it on his own initiative: "Apple can completely ignore it. It's just news, and there is no real lawsuit against Apple."
"Do you think Spotify has been sued? Is iTunes further closed than Spotify?" Steve Cooper blew out a smoke ring: "I now very much doubt whether Lu directed and acted himself and deliberately dragged Apple into the water."
"It's very possible, yes, it's possible!"
Edgar Bronfman Jr. said, "What do we do now?"
You have to wipe the shit out of me!
Steve Cooper rolled his eyes, "There are two options now, either decisively cut off from these companies, or let them fend for themselves. Based on the strength of logic, it can easily turn into a time-consuming drag, and it won't last for two or three years." There won’t be a clear situation, and the limelight will just pass. Either you take the lead and convince Sony, Universal, and EMI, just like you want..."
"Dingling, ringing, ringing~"
The sudden ringing of the phone made the focused little Edgar Bronfman tremble suddenly. He couldn't help but cursed "fuxk" in a low voice, reached out to pick up the receiver, and his expression suddenly changed.
"What did you say? Say it again!"
"What happened?"
Steve Cooper had a bad feeling.
Edgar Bronfman Jr.'s mouth twitched, "The team of attorneys they hired asked the court to question Lu's application and asked him to testify in court."
"Who asked them to do this!!"
…………
Seattle, Logic headquarters building.
"This is going to kill the fish and break the net."
Lu Fei threw the summons on the table and said disdainfully: "Can I refuse to appear in court?"
"I'm afraid not, that's what the magistrate has ruled."
Saul Goodman shrugged, "He and those lawyers have always wanted to make some fuss about you, just like they did against Neon in the 1980s. They want to become famous."
"So I have to go to court."
Lu Fei touched his chin, feeling unhappy.
"Yes, he feels that you have unique and irreplaceable first-hand information on the issue of incompatibility with the RealNetwork file format."
Saul Goodman said in a serious tone: "But fortunately, the entire testimony process does not exceed one hour, and it can only ask questions about the software upgrade in October 2004. If it is not convenient for you to attend the scene, you can also apply for video. Now The Internet is very developed.”
Lu Fei crossed his arms: "What's your opinion?"
Saul Goodman smiled and said: "It's up to you, but I suggest attending. As long as we deal with it in a targeted manner, we are likely to win the approval of the jury and increase our chances of winning. This is also in line with your idea of a quick victory. Of course, now the advantage is It’s already on our side.”
"When will you appear in court?"
"The time for questioning has to be decided by them."
Lu Fei rolled his eyes, "Okay, Lao Guo, remember to find me the media on the day of the questioning. The more the better, especially those from the fashion and entertainment industries."
Guo Xing was startled. Shouldn't big things be reduced to trivial matters? The less exposure, the better?
For a moment, I couldn't figure out the situation.
But Lu Fei had already taken out his cell phone and dialed:
"Hey, Cook, I heard you became the chief operating officer. Congratulations."
"Lu, thank you."
Tim Cook glanced at Jobs who was being lectured irritably, quietly exited the laboratory, and stood in the quiet corridor, "Thank you for remembering to call me when the company was accused of monopoly."
"Haha~"
Lu Fei saw that he was a smart man and kept the story short: "I don't believe this lawsuit is that simple. It is likely that one or more people from Warner, Universal, EMI, and Sony colluded behind it. This is not against logic, but it also includes you." Apple, this is a matter for all of us, and the verdict this time will determine who is the master of digital music, you should understand what I mean."
"Yeah, yeah, I understand, I'll tell Steve."
Tim Cook answered the call for a while, then pushed the door open and entered.
Jobs was still angry at Riccio and other engineers: "What we build is not Nokia, Motorola, or rubbish LogicX. What I want is creation!"
No circular touch wheel, no hardware keyboard, and no stylus, just a touch screen and a hardware button…”
"Steve!"
Tim Cook walked over and interrupted with a smile.
"What's up?"
Jobs stopped writing, leaving behind a densely written writing board and a group of engineers who were like quails, and walked away.
Tim Cook made it clear, "I think we should do our part."
"Help him? Help this shameless thief?"
Jobs' sickly face was covered in black lines.
"Helping him means helping ourselves."
Tim Cook bluntly said: "Many media have been staring at us, and sooner or later we will be investigated by antitrust agencies."
Then he patiently persuaded, because of American case law, if even semi-open and semi-closed logic fails, Apple, which is completely closed, will definitely lose the case, and everyone is a grasshopper on a rope.
"Go on, I'll listen."
Jobs' expression softened slightly and he touched his white stubble.
"According to feedback from our companies in Europe, the EU seems to be eyeing iTunes. Apple must not start a war between the two places. Multiple antitrust lawsuits will affect the stock price and also slow down the progress of your mobile phone research and development project."
Tim Cook said kindly: "Steve, you don't want to spend a lot of time dealing with those idiot directors and judges and the media, right?"
"What does the thief beg us to do?"
Jobs took off his glasses and squeezed them gently.
…………
2005, October 24.
The antitrust case continued to be heard, and the media gathered in front of the court, and the crowd stretched to the end of the street.
Opposite, countless overseas Chinese came after hearing the news, and even the Fujian Construction Industry and Commerce Association encouraged everyone to gather here under the banner of "opposing hatred and conspiracies against Asians."
"..."
Lu Fei was sitting in the bulletproof car, looking out through the car window, seeing signs one after another, and was speechless: "What the hell do I have to do with Asians! Also, this is a monopoly case, there are so many anti- What’s the slogan about ‘discrimination’?”
"I can't figure it out, it's all their own initiative."
Guo Xing was embarrassed and wanted to laugh at the same time, "Mr. Lu, we can think on the bright side. These people, and even many Asians in the United States, are potential users of Logic's new generation products."
"Just stop here and let's walk a little bit."
Lu Fei smacked his lips and got out of the car accompanied by Wang Ben and other bodyguards. He was immediately exposed to everyone's sight. He was in a suit and leather shoes. He wore beats headphones around his neck. The other end of the cable was plugged into the port of LogicX, and his mobile phone was Hold it in his hand.
As if there was a red carpet on the road leading to the court, accompanied by the clicking sounds of photos, Lu Fei had a calm face and brisk steps.
"Lu, Lu!"
"Is the logic really like what they said? They are actually exploiting independent music companies and squeezing independent musicians?"
"..."
"Lu, what do you think about some people thinking that Logic is the monopoly that controls the lifeblood of digital music?"
Facing the flashing lights, Lu Fei, who was walking up the stairs, suddenly turned around, stood on the steps, and said with a smile on his face:
"I believe that no rational person would regard logic as a monopoly. The reason why I dare to do this is because I hold this truth in mind. I welcome the launch of an anti-monopoly investigation into logic, but we do not have a monopoly."
"Then why do you want to suppress RealNetworks?"
There were many protest marchers in the crowd with the slogan "anti-logic", and this question was suddenly raised amidst the roar of the crowd.
"Apple also refuses to open to RealNetworks? Many websites also refuse to open to RealNetworks. Isn't it time for Real to reflect on its own problems?"
Lu Fei smiled, "Logic has never regarded any company as a legitimate threat. I am very puzzled that Logic is the only one that seems to have gotten into this trouble, and it is a company with strong financial resources."
After answering the third question in a clear and logical manner, the bailiff at the door couldn't stand it and hurriedly led the group of people to the court.
Soon, crowds of people poured in.
"I solemnly, sincerely, truly declare and affirm that the evidence I provide will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth!"
Lu Fei solemnly swore an oath and then sat down.
While he was unbuttoning his suit, he looked around and found that sitting in the corner were the Universal Department headed by Doug Morris, the Warner Department headed by Steve Cooper, and EMI and other top record companies and music labels. More or less, they all overlap with Spotify.
"Ahem."
With the permission of the judge, the plaintiff's attorney flashed a green light, like a hungry jackal, and spoke in a calm but aggressive tone:
"Lu, Logic's built-in software prevents digital music files from competitors such as RealNetworks from being downloaded to lmusic to maintain Spotify's inflated prices... It's a simple question, you just need to answer 'yes' or 'no' .”
"Nothing is simple in this case."
Lu Fei responded unceremoniously and said slowly: "We have signed very strict copyright protection contracts with record companies. According to these contracts, if a user violates the logic of the FairPlay digital rights management system, this system can detect music from other music companies." Store song files and prevent users from downloading them to lmusic.
But as long as we can get the consent of the majority of record companies, we will open it to other websites, such as Apple's iTunes. Otherwise, it will be a violation of the contract we signed with the music companies, and they can stop providing us with music copyrights at any time. "
"Well……"
The plaintiff's attorney was given a slap in the face. He never expected that Mr. Lu would give him a blow from the beginning. While he was extremely vigilant, he had to change his strategy.
"Did I read it correctly?"
"Yes."
After reading the contract for a while, the plaintiff's attorney asked: "Am I reading it correctly?"
"Yes."
Lu Fei looked at Saul Goodman calmly.
As everyone knows, after the plaintiff’s attorney finished reading a paragraph, he took the trouble to ask again: “Did I read it correctly?”
"You can go ahead and read them right."
Lu Fei curled his lips, this little trick was brought to the table, didn't he just want to make himself irritated and make mistakes?
Seeing that time passed by, Mr. Lu's three-dimensional defense could not be broken. The plaintiff's attorney gradually panicked and was forced to use his trump card in advance:
"RealNetworks developed a software called 'Harmony', which is a reverse design of Logic's FairPlay, which allows mp3 users in the Logic camp to play music from RealNetworks. However, Spotify soon updated the system and successively Harmony technology has been disabled twice. This move is completely anti-competitive and reduces the consumer experience!"
"Because Harmony technology disrupts the ecosystem of logical end-to-end products, we are worried about companies like RealNetworks who promise to bring compatibility to customers but are actually incompatible. This is something we cannot guarantee, so we I’d rather be sued by these companies.”
Lu Fei shrugged, "But it seems that you are not RealNetworks' attorney. It did not sue us."
"Hahaha~"
Suddenly, the courtroom was filled with joy.
"Boom!"
The judge sullenly banged his gavel.
The plaintiff's attorney said with cold sweat falling from his forehead: "But because of this, logic has harmed the interests of my clients."
"This is an inevitable 'collateral damage' in protecting digital music copyright. Record companies cannot ask us to fully open the system to the outside world to increase sales, but also ask us to continue to update the digital rights management system to guard against hacker attacks."
Lu Fei said seriously: "It is a completely contradictory request, because many hackers invade through many unsafe websites. The reason why there is a strict review and approval mechanism is to abide by the contract with the record company..."
"well!"
Steve Cooper looked at what he said clearly, thinking of Edgar Bronfman Jr., and sighed deeply.
How come the gap between people is so big!
Isn’t it said that the Jews are the smartest nation in the world?
During the hour-long questioning, Lu Fei didn't leak anything.
"I think you all have no objections now, right?"
Doug Morris looks left, looks right.
The executives of Universal Music said nothing, nodded one after another, and then stood up in unison, looking straight at Lu Fei who was leaving the stage, their eyes flickering and complicated.
(End of chapter)
