Holy Security State, Batman!
Hollywood may like to criticize GWB for his over-eager and intrusive anti-terrorism precautions, but they sure seem ready to take a page out of the homeland security book when it comes to protecting their CD sales:
In Florida, the new legislation requires all stores buying second-hand
merchandise for resale to apply for a permit and file security in the
form of a $10,000 bond with the Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services. In addition, stores would be required to thumb-print
customers selling used CDs, and acquire a copy of state-issued identity
documents such as a driver's license. Furthermore, stores could issue
only store credit -- not cash -- in exchange for traded CDs, and would
be required to hold discs for 30 days before reselling them. (HT Overlawyered)
Requiring thumbprints from customers just to sell used CD's? Are they nuts? Can you imagine if they tried to apply this to anything else? You'd have to have a retina scanner to use eBay. Freaking totally insane. I can buy a gun, an aircraft, and a shopping cart full of rat poison without a thumbprint but I need to go through the jailhouse booking routine to sell a CD?
By the way, note how insane the requirements on resellers are. For example, having to hold a disc 30 days before selling. Why? I am sure for a lot of hot music products the value goes down about 50% a month.
Of course, we all know the reason why. This is about politically powerful incumbents protecting their business from competition. In this case, music companies don't want to have to compete with their own CDs showing up on the aftermarket. Well you know what -- suck it up. Car companies have had to deal with this problem for years. I am sure they would love laws that make it difficult for anyone to buy a used car (or maybe they wouldn't - a healthy secondary market gives consumers the ability to trade up to new models frequently, something music sellers should consider).
Think about the recycling angle, by the way. The best recycling plan is to reuse an item for its original use. We all remember Hollywood giving Al Gore a big wet kiss at the Oscars, and congratulating themselves for being more green than the rest of us schmucks Except, of course, when it hits the bottom line. "Hey you little guys out there, don't resell those CD's, we want to make sure you throw them out and buy new. After all, we can't keep our private jets flying without selling lots more CDs."
