Let me clarify for you.
Spotify is a terrific service that has been in the European market for about 2 years now. It is an existing player who is getting enormous push back from a company that is truly afraid of them--Apple. The point(s) I was making is that the music industry needs Spotify. They need competition. However, as made clear in my latest column, they have succeeded in killing competition because of their tactics and business practices.
I really don't expect many to understand this, as it is complicated and certainly beyond the casual investor's knowledge and experience. But please be clear that iTunes and Spotify do not compete. They are completely different services. The issue is that Apple wants to enter the space that Spotify has pioneered and wants the market all to themselves. They are not afraid of Google, Amazon or anyone else. And for the very reasons that you quoted from my Spotify story.
I happen to know several of the top Spotify people and know that they are in fact very smart and experienced. And well-funded, of course. But don't even try to compare Qtrax to Spotify. Spotify is real and very popular.
