By Will Sturgeon, 5 October 2004 16:40
NEWS Steve Ballmer, Microsoft's outspoken CEO, has responded to fierce criticism of his recent comments about users of the Apple iPod which he made to an exclusive group of UK journalists in London.
Speaking on Sunday evening, the Microsoft boss said the most common format of music on an iPod "stolen". Cue a barrage of reader comments from iPod users clearing their names and insisting much or all of their music comes from legitimate means - such as ripping it from CDs they already own, or buying it online via the massively popular iTunes service. Many saw it as the latest cheap shot across the bows of Microsoft's long term rival Apple.
The story got picked up on a number of Mac sites and geek news portal Slashdot.org and within hours had gone truly stellar. Within 24 hours, Ballmer's words were coming back to haunt him.
On the Dutch leg of his European tour he was asked to explain those views, as expressed in the silicon.com story. It was a question he had perhaps been expecting and was obviously aware of the backlash his words had evoked. However, his exact remarks had clearly, conveniently slipped his mind.
"I don't know what I said exactly, but it was bad," said Ballmer, drawing out the last word - "baaaaaad" - for added emphasis, according to Lars Pasveer, a journalist from ZDNet Netherlands.
Just how "bad" it was can be seen from the nature of the reader comments - a record number - posted in reaction to the story.
One reader wrote: "Such a shame Ballmer has to resort to such stabs at Apple. 'Stolen music' indeed. Yes, all those iPod owners with their fair use encodes of the actual CDs that they own, and their purchases of music from iTunes. Where exactly are his figures showing that most of the music on iPods is stolen anyway?"
"While I'm sure there are music thieves using every brand of portable music player, as an iPod owner and one who only has legally purchased the music on it, I take offence at Ballmer's comments and find them childish," wrote another, adding that it was "a poorly thought-out dig at the iPod's success".
Others took a more sardonic view. "Nice bit of promotion that, if you want people to buy your hardware instead of an iPod, insult the customer and brand him a thief," wrote another reader.
Comments
There are 10 comments. Join the discussion
1. anonymous
Ballmer needs some memory upgrade soon... If he don't know what he was talking...
By the way, has Bill Gates found out who made "Finding Nemo" yet?
2. anonymous
I don't know why everyone is critisizing Ballmer, as his comments are generally quite true. Although I wouldn't necessarily agree to the extent he did, in the majority of cases people do have a fair amount of "stolen" music on their iPods or other digital device.
The reason the iPod was targetted is a) it's a competitor, and b) because it's the most popular mp3 player on the market. I do disagree with him naming the iPod, "digital device" or "mp3 player" would have sufficed.
However, all the people kicking up a fuss are either a) Apple enthusiasts so very much biased, b) Lying, c) Geniune music buyers, but with little understanding of what's really going on.
3. anonymous
Since most iPod owners are Windows users, if the music on their iPods is stolen, that would be... stolen using Windows, right?
4. Richard
It's a compliment really...
Perhaps he meant the most common format on digital music players is "stolen"... but iPod has (like Walkman and Hoover before it) broken out of its brand name to become a generic term.
Of course this could be bad news for Apple's brand identity and Steve Ballmer wouldn't encourage that, would he...?
5. Ed
What about Windows. I think Ballmer forgot the #1 file sharing (theiving?) platform in the world: Windows. After all Windows users are thieves.
6. anonymous
If you truly believe Ballmer is right in any possible sense you need a lobotomy, or perhaps an education. Either one will do. Where are the numbers that prove most iPod owners are music thieves? In Ballmer's head? And he's railing against the iTunes Music Store, despite the fact that you BUY songs from the iTunes Music store, not steal them.
7. anonymous
Uh huh. Not a single person I know has illegal songs. Of course we're all professionals making a decent living, so I can't address what a college kid may have on his.
As for theft, let's see now, I'm trying to count how many times Microsoft has been convicted of theft in a court of law (OLE, Quicktime, etc., etc.). I don't have time to list them all but I sure would keep my fat mouth shut if I were Ballmer when it came to theft.
8. Theodore Odeluga
Response to the Round Up 8th October.
Why shouldn't the music biz make squillions? (Ed note. Who said it shouldn't? But nor should it claim it is just trying to make the world a better place, because frankly that's rubbish. That was the point that was made quite clearly in the Round-Up)
I know I'd jump at the chance to do the same.
Music piracy is not a response to an over rich music industry as to over priced product. Here in the UK we pay too much for CDs (as with other tech products) - but how much should we pay?
As Feargal Sharkey says, musicians can't be expected to work for nothing. Everyone needs to make a living.
If we can find a price thats fair, theres no reason why music millionaires can't exist.
The real debate we should be having is about the value of music in society and how much we pay for it. When we can sort that out, everyone will be happy.
9. anonymous
Oh please, as if nobody has *ever* downloaded anything illegal from the internet....to maintain that we're all simply transferring music from our existing collections is rubbish. I'm not saying that Ballmer's comment wasn't, AS PER USUAL, crass, misjudged and inaccurate - it was but there is a grain of truth in it, now isn't there!!!
10. anonymous
i suppose we are not criticising on ballmer's comment about stolen music but his action on questioning ipod's integrity. i would be a liar if i say i did not 'steal' any music; everybody would be. but it's self-preference on obtaining their own musics whether it is legal or illegal. i suppose microsoft could do better to fight piracy than to stoop so low bout this