Reborn Millennial Gamer

Chapter 470 Escalation of the Situation (5k)

"Recently, the Spotify antitrust case was officially opened in the District Court of Oakland, California. The plaintiff's attorney said that in order to maintain a monopoly on the digital music market, the logic used two software updates to crowd out competitors' services and obstruct competitors' MP3 players or music. Competition of stores."

"Logic says updating its Spotify software is not about hitting competitors and restricting consumers, but about protecting its recording contracts and plugging security holes in the software."

"We will focus on this case and continue to follow up!"

"..."

A "mute" pattern suddenly appeared on the TV screen, and Edgar Bronfman Jr. put down the remote control and spoke quickly:

"Doug, this is an opportunity for us, an excellent opportunity, as long as we put pressure on logic together now."

"Universal is not interested in digital rights management."

Doug Morris's words showed rejection.

"Hehe, I don't want that useless digital rights management, but we can trade it, let Lu make a concession, and get the right to choose the price in exchange." Little Edgar Bronfman sat on the sofa and tilted his head. Erlang said, "Yeah, this is our ultimate goal, to firmly control the freedom of pricing in our own hands."

"If we do this, what will Lu think?"

Doug Morris is vacillating, and always remembers the two big cooperations of tubing and earphones: "He will feel that these companies are ordered by us, and we are their backstage, which will definitely intensify the already delicate relationship. If one is not good, it will be easy. Torn face, we still have a long, many cooperation with Logic."

"Alright alright."

Edgar Bronfman tried his best to lobby, but still couldn't convince Universal Music to join the battle. He said helplessly, "Even if we don't directly support the five independent labels, we still have to reach a consensus, that is, we don't support logic."

Hanging up the phone, cursing, "Fack, Doug! If I'm still at the helm of Universal, I must teach you a lesson, you cowardly and greedy waste!"

After cursing for a while, I went on to call Andy Lak from Sony Music, who was smoother than Doug Morris and had an ambiguous attitude.

They either answered irrelevant questions or gave vague words, neither agreeing nor objecting, and kept touting Edgar Bronfman Jr. as the leading brother of the four major music giants, secretly urging him to be the first to charge, and Sony would follow closely thereafter.

Widowed bitch!
Little Edgar Bronfman was so angry that he almost dropped his phone, how could he make good music with these insects!
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Steve Cooper's figure appearing at the open door. He had a serious face, holding a stack of newspapers and printouts in his hand, and asked in an incriminating tone:

"These are also your backhands?"

"what?"

Little Edgar Bronfman took it in doubt, flipped it over and over again, his eyes immediately enlarged, and what was reflected in his eyes was——

"iTunes Monopoly: The Crimes and Punishments of a Closed Ecosystem".

"Apple is accused of using iTunes to monopolize music copyrights to suppress cheap players."

"Bundle of Apple iTunes and iPod Suspected of Illegal Monopoly"...

Some are news screenshots from Yahoo, and some are from influential newspapers such as The New York Times. He panicked instantly and blurted out: "Who did this! Cooper, I didn't let anyone find fault with Apple. , just pay for these money-recognizing people the media to focus their firepower on logic!"

"Not you."

Steve Cooper looked at him carefully, and seeing that his face did not seem to be fake, he couldn't help frowning, "Who could it be?"

"Perhaps there are also people who don't like logic like us, and they are also unhappy with Apple, and want to take this opportunity to fight back against Apple."

Edgar Bronfman Jr. watched and said.

Steve Cooper said: "For us, it just sucks!"

"Can you speak more clearly?" Little Edgar Bronfman raised his head suddenly, his eyes full of puzzlement.

"One table has two tables of guests, how can I eat this meal!"

Steve Cooper frowned: "Whether it's dealing with Spotify or logic, it's just dealing with one company, but when Apple is involved in antitrust, the nature is completely different. If one is not good, the whole contradiction may escalate into digital The battle between the mall camp and the music companies! Remember the battle of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act?"

Little Edgar Bronfman suddenly realized that it was originally a fight between a small company and a big company, and it seemed to have escalated into a battle of camp interests. No matter how much logic is hated by peers, but the ass decides the head, interests are at stake, regardless of RealNetworks, Still itunes, the muzzle is consistent with the outside world.

"It's getting more and more complicated."

Steve Cooper took out a cigarette and dangled it, his gloomy face became more and more blue. The five independent labels have no money and no power on the surface. There is almost no chance of winning, and another apple is spread...

In any case, there must be a record giant platform like Warner Music, but at this time, he can't end alone. That doesn't mean that there is no silver 300 taels here, and he admits that he is behind the scenes.

What's more, the size of a family is not enough.

Not going in, not going back!
"Cooper, the matter is not so serious, is it?"

Edgar Bronfman Jr. picked up the lighter and ignited it actively: "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 it farther than Spotify's closed iTunes?" Steve Cooper exhaled a smoke ring: "I now very much doubt whether Lu Zidirected and acted on purpose to drag Apple into the water."

"Very likely, yes, there is such a possibility!"

Edgar Bronfman Jr.: "What do we do now?"

The shit you poked out, I have to wipe it for you!
Steve Cooper rolled his eyes, "There are two choices now, either cut off these companies decisively, and let them fend for themselves. Logical strength can easily become a time-consuming pull. There will be no clear situation, and the limelight will pass like this, or you will take the lead to persuade Sony, Universal, and EMI, just like you want..."

"Jingle bell~"

The sudden ringing of the phone made Edgar Bronfman, who was concentrating, tremble suddenly. He couldn't help cursing "fuxk" in a low voice, reached out to pick up the receiver, and his face changed drastically in an instant.

"What did you say, say it again!"

"What happened?"

Steve Cooper has a bad feeling.

The corner of Edgar Bronfman Jr.'s mouth twitched, "The lawyers they hired filed an application to the court to question Lu and asked him to testify in court."

"Who told them to do this!!"

…………

Seattle, Logic headquarters building.

"This is to kill the fish and break the net."

Lu Fei casually threw the summons on the table and said disdainfully, "Can I refuse to appear in court?"

"I'm afraid not. That's what the justice of the peace decides."

Saul Goodman shrugged, "He and those lawyers have always wanted to do something about you, just like the 80s did with Neon, wanting to become famous."

"So I have to go to court."

Lu Fei touched his chin, feeling upset.

"That's right, he thinks you have unique and irreplaceable first-hand information on the issue of incompatible RealNetwork file formats."

Saul Goodman said in a serious tone: "But fortunately, the whole testimonial process does not exceed one hour, and you can only ask questions about the software upgrade in October 1. If you are not convenient to attend the scene, you can also apply for a video. Now The Internet is very developed.”

Lu Fei crossed his hands: "What's your opinion?"

Sol Goodman smiled and said: "It's up to you, but I suggest attending. As long as you respond in a targeted manner, it is likely to win the approval of the jury and increase our chances of winning. It is also in line with your idea of ​​​​quick victory. Of course, the advantage now Already on our side."

"When will you appear in court?"

"The timing of the questioning will have to be set by them."

Lu Fei rolled his eyes, "Okay, Lao Guo, remember to find me media on the day of the interrogation, the more the better, especially the fashion and entertainment circles."

Guo Xing was taken aback, shouldn't the big things be made small, the less exposure the better?
For a while, I couldn't figure out the situation.

But seeing that Lu Fei had already taken out his mobile phone, he dialed the number:
"Hey, Cook, congratulations to hear that you've become COO."

"Lu, thank you."

Tim Cook glanced at Jobs, who was lecturing violently, quietly exited the laboratory, and stood in the quiet corridor, "Thank you for thinking of calling me when the company was accused of monopoly."

"Haha~"

Lu Fei saw that he was a smart person, so he kept a long story short: "I don't believe that this lawsuit is so simple. It is very likely that Warner, Universal, EMI, Sony or a few companies conspired behind it. This is not against the logic, including you Apple, this is all of us, and the outcome of this judgment will determine who is the master of digital music, you should know what I mean."

"Uh, uh, I understand, I'll pass it on to Steve."

Tim Cook responded for a while, then pushed the door open again.

Jobs was still pointing at Riccio and other engineers and getting angry: "What we build is not Nokia, nor Motorola, nor is it rubbish logicX, what I want is creation!
No round touch wheel, no hardware keyboard, no stylus, just a touchscreen and a hardware button..."

"Steve!"

Tim Cook came over and interrupted with a smile.

"what's up?"

Jobs stopped writing, leaving behind the densely written writing board and a group of engineers who looked 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 with black lines.

"Helping him means helping ourselves."

Tim Cook said bluntly: "Many media have been staring at us, and sooner or later they will provoke investigations by antitrust agencies."

Then patiently persuade, because of the case law of the United States, if even the semi-open and semi-closed logic loses the case, the completely closed Apple will definitely lose the case 100%, and everyone is a grasshopper on the same rope.

"Go on, I'm listening."

Jobs' face softened slightly, and he stroked his white stubble.

"According to the feedback from our European companies, the EU seems to be eyeing itunes, and Apple must not go to war between the two places. Multiple antitrust lawsuits will affect the stock price, and it will also drag down the progress of your mobile phone research and development project."

Tim Cook said pleasantly, "Steve, you don't want to spend a lot of time dealing with that group of idiot directors and judges media?"

"What did the thief ask us to do?"

Jobs took off his glasses and kneaded them gently.

…………

2005, April 10.

The anti-monopoly case continued to be heard in court, and the media gathered at the gate of the court, and the crowd stretched all the way to the end of the street.

On the opposite side, countless overseas Chinese came here 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 conspiracy against Asians".

"..."

Sitting in the bulletproof car, Lu Fei looked out through the car window and saw the signs. He was very speechless and said, "What the hell do I have to do with Asians! Also, this is a monopoly case, so many 'anti- What's the catchphrase about 'discrimination'?"

"I don't know, it's all spontaneous."

Guo Xing was embarrassed and wanted to laugh, "Mr. Lu, we can think about the good. These people, even many Asians in the United States, are potential users of Logic's new generation of products."

"Just stop here and let's go for a walk."

Lu Fei smacked his lips, got out of the car accompanied by Wang Ben and other bodyguards, and was immediately exposed to everyone's sight. He was wearing a suit and leather shoes, and he wore beats headphones around his neck. held in his hand.

As if there was a red carpet on the road leading to the court, accompanied by the sound of snapping pictures, Lu Fei's face was calm and his steps were brisk.

"Lu, Lu!"

"Is the logic really like what they say, 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 non-stop flashing lights, Lu Fei, who was climbing 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 to hold this truth. I very much welcome the anti-monopoly investigation of Logic, but we really do not engage in monopoly."

"Then why are you suppressing RealNetworks?"

There were quite a few protesters in the crowd who held the sign of "anti-logic", and this question was suddenly raised in the hustle and bustle of voices.

"Apple also refuses to open to RealNetworks? Many websites also refuse to open to RealNetworks. Shouldn't it be Real's own reflection on its own problems?"

Lu Fei smiled, "Logic has never regarded any company as a legitimate threat. I am very puzzled, it seems that the only company that has gotten into this trouble is Logic, and it is a company with strong capital."

After answering the third question clearly and clearly, the bailiff at the door couldn't stand it any longer, hurriedly led the way, and led them to the court.

Soon, crowds poured in.

"I solemnly, sincerely, and truly declare and affirm that the evidence I present will be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth!"

Lu Fei solemnly swore the oath, and then sat down.

Taking advantage of the gap between unbuttoning his suit, he looked around and found that in the corner were the Universal Department headed by Doug Morris, the Warner Department headed by Steve Cooper, and the EMI Department and other record companies and music labels. More or less have intersection with Spotify.

"Cough cough."

With the permission of the judge, the attorney representing the plaintiff shone with green light, like a hungry jackal, with a calm but aggressive tone:
"Lu, Logic's built-in software prevents the download of digital music files from competitors such as RealNetworks to lmusic to maintain Spotify's inflated prices... This is a simple question, you just need to answer 'yes' or 'no' .”

"Nothing is simple in this case."

Lu Fei shot back unceremoniously, and said slowly: "We have signed a very strict copyright protection contract with the record company. According to these contracts, if a user violates the logical FairPlay digital rights management system, this system can detect music from other music. Store song files and prevent users from downloading them to lmusic.

But as long as we can get the consent of most of the record companies, we will open it to other websites, such as Apple's iTunes, otherwise it is a violation of the contract we signed with the music companies, and they can stop providing us with music copyrights at any time. "

"Uh……"

The attorney representing the plaintiff was given a big blow. He never expected that Mr. Lu would give him a big blow from the very beginning. While he was extremely vigilant, he had to change his strategy.

"Did I read that right?"

"correct."

After reading the contract for a while, the plaintiff's attorney asked, "Did I read it right?"

"correct."

Lu Fei and Saul Goodman looked at each other calmly.

Unexpectedly, after the plaintiff's attorney finished reading a paragraph, he took the trouble to ask again: "Did I read it right?"

"You can go ahead and read them right."

Lu Fei curled his lips, this kind of trick was brought to the table, didn't he just want to make himself irritated and make mistakes?

Seeing the time passing by, Mr. Lu's three-dimensional defense still couldn't be broken, the plaintiff's attorney gradually panicked, and was forced to use his trump card in advance:
"RealNetworks has developed a software called 'Harmony', which is a reverse design of Logic's FairPlay, allowing mp3 users in the Logic camp to play music from RealNetworks, but soon Spotify will update the system, successively Disabled Harmony technology twice, this move is completely anti-competitive and degrades the consumer experience!"

"Because Harmony technology destroys the ecosystem of logical end-to-end products, we are worried that some companies like RealNetworks, who promise to bring compatibility to customers, are actually incompatible. This is something we cannot guarantee, so we Would rather be sued by these companies."

Lu Fei shrugged, "But it seems that you are not the attorney representing RealNetworks, it did not sue us."

"Hahaha~"

In an instant, the court was full of joy.

"Dong dong!"

The judge grimaced and tapped the gavel.

The attorney representing the plaintiff was sweating coldly from his forehead: "But because of this, the logic has damaged the interests of my clients."

"This is the inevitable 'collateral damage' of protecting digital music copyrights. The record company cannot ask us to fully open the system to the outside world to increase sales, but also requires us to continue to update the digital rights management system to prevent hacker attacks."

Lu Fei said solemnly: "It's a completely contradictory request, because many hackers intrude 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..."

"Ugh!"

Steve Cooper looked at what he said logically, and thought of Edgar Bronfman Jr., he sighed deeply.

How can there be such a big difference in being a human being!
Isn't it said that the Jews are the most intelligent nation in the world!

During the hour-long interrogation, Lu Fei was tight-fisted.

"I don't think you have any objections now, do you?"

Doug Morris looks left, looks right.

The executives of Universal Music nodded without saying a word, then stood up in unison, and cast their eyes straight on Lu Fei who was leaving the stage, with twinkling and complicated eyes.

(End of this chapter)