Them Apples

They have learned nothing from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

Thanks to another hapless record company, Fiona Apple's fans are busy downloading 38,000 copies of her latest album each day from the filesharing networks. It's unavailable in stores because the idiotic executives couldn't find a "hit single" among the tracks.

Markets do some things very well. Sony made millions on the Walkman personal stereo adding features and cutting costs over the years, all the while diligently practicing kaizen. Then Apple quietly destroyed this market with the iPod. Sony has since demonstrated further ineptitude in the digital marketplace by failing to find any meaningful mutual benefits between it's consumer electronics and entertainment divisions.

The intangible value behind "creative" content doesn't appear to work well with intensely focused management. Profitability and art have a tempestuous relationship, and for that we should be grateful.