Comments on: Sellers of used CDs

By: David Schwartz

David Schwartz — Thu, 10 May 2007 00:56:14 +0000

My wife and I own a video gaming store that buys and sells used video games.

California has an odd law that allows us to buy used video games without regulation but prohibits us from being any used hardware that bears a serial number.

That means we can buy a used $40 video game but not a used $15 controller.

It’s odd, the rest of the laws are pretty sensible. They define categories of high-theft items (furs, jewelry, and so on) and require special tracking for those, but they oddly include *anything* with a serial number.

By: John Galt

John Galt — Wed, 09 May 2007 19:31:44 +0000

Seems to me like a backhanded circumvention of the First Sale doctrine by the RIAA. I can’t believe the Fla. legislators came up with this out of the blue, and it might be interesting to look at who’s contributing to the bill’s sponsors’ slush funds.

By: nevins

nevins — Wed, 09 May 2007 15:43:46 +0000

And all this nonsense regulating the sale of CDs brings us safety and wellbeing how?
Perhaps the 30 day holding period is to allow Tipper Gore to censor naughty lyricss.

By: cowpill

cowpill — Wed, 09 May 2007 11:31:32 +0000

I am truly shocked that the RIAA hasn’t tried to use this as a money making ploy. Oops, I shouldn’t have said anything.

By: Dick

Dick — Wed, 09 May 2007 09:39:48 +0000

Funny that other stolen items do not require such efforts to identify who is selling them.

By: Matthew Brown

Matthew Brown — Wed, 09 May 2007 02:18:38 +0000

And of course little proof has been provided that used CD sales are any kind of problem – except that the new-music sellers don’t like the competition.

By: MHoc

MHoc — Wed, 09 May 2007 00:03:16 +0000

And this will create a black market for selling CD’s meaning that tax revenue will go down, and at the same time they will have to come with resources for enforcement.