Amazon just took down of of my LPs I had listed for sale

Yes, Amazon sent me an email stating copyright violation on an old Barbara Streisand Christmas Album that I have had listed for about 10 years with no issue (and no buyer either). It is not a copy, or oddity in any way. It is a late 70s Nice Price era pressing with no barcode. But I did not mention this in my listing, just stated that it was still sealed, no cuts no holes. And it has been up listed with no buyer for many years. I think it was priced at $14.99.

I sense that Sony music is not satisfied blocking most sellers from selling used CDs, but now wants to kick the seller's of vinyl off the site as well. I can't imagine what the infringement is with this old LP.

I might call Amazon to speak with someone, but they are likely to just state that it was flagged by a third party (Sony Music), and that they do not know exact reason, but the third party is copyright holder. Some runaround answer I would expect.

Anyone else seen a real genuine new old stock LP flagged for copyright infringement over there at Amazon?

My only concern is that I might start to see many of my listings get kicked to the curb just because they can. Hate to start off the new year with this nonsense. It makes me glad I have a Discogs account in wonderful standing and two ebay accounts both with strong positive feedback. One really must diversify your listing places in this uncertain times we are in. I had just listed 5 items over at Amazon two days ago thinking I need to beef up my sales there. Now I am not really sure.

 

I'm surprised you still had listings up on Amazon. I thought they basically made it nearly impossible for individuals to sell music or videos on their site a few years ago. I don't recall the details, but didn't they implement some sort of requirement that the seller prove ownership (invoices/sales receipts from when the item was purchased by the seller) in order to continue selling?

 

Amazon became openly hostile to small party music sellers a few years ago, requiring invoices for items you're selling for many listings. (And invoices of the type you WILL NOT have--not just a form showing you bought it from a local store).

There are some listings you can still list on, but a lot more that will block you. It sucks.

BTW, the transition occurred shortly after GoHastings shut its doors. GoHastings was the last 2-ton gorilla keeping the market for cheap used product open.

 

Amazon must be hearing it from the majors....you can find CD's and LP's really dirt cheap if you search. GoHastings must have sold their massive inventory...their Amarillo warehouse could have parked the Goodyear blimp in it a few times over from their closed stores. I wonder where Second Spin's inventory went.

 

I haven't bought anything on Amazon since they removed the small sellers.

 

As a practical matter I suppose Amazon can do whatever it wants. But as a matter of curiosity I don't quite understand how they can remove a used LP on the basis of a copyright claim - what's the legal basis for that? As far as I know anyone has the right to sell an LP they own, yes?

 

It's probably a response to the amount of counterfeit items available to purchase online, though I don't know if they made similar changes to rules regarding who can sell clothing online -- another category where there is a lot of faked merchandise.

 

Anyone can claim anything. Amazon can say that it won't adjudicate, but merely abide by the takedown claim. The damaged party can counterclaim, but that's time-consuming and usually expensive (requiring a lawyer). A big label is a 2,000 pound gorilla who mostly gets its way.

Same thing happens on eBay. Try selling something like an America's Top 40 radio program and see what happens. They shouldn't be able to take you down, but eBay isn't going to stand in the middle and no one who gets bullied is going to spend the time and money to challenge it.

 

My LP was an old still sealed copy. So maybe Sony wants all of the "new" condition business to themselves for vinyl.

 

You need to foil Sony’s plan by opening the record and sticking it to the man.

 

I have seen people list still sealed LPs as "Like New" rather than New. I thought it was because you get to fill in description field with the grade. "New" gives you no such field on Amazon. But it might be due to other reasons as well.

 

But this was for CDs only I was under the impression, and not for vinyl sellers.

 

Definitely. Hastings relied on liquidators in the U.S. and a portion of the inventory was purchased by a company based out of China. Hastings had an impressive selection of new old stock OOP CD titles, especially original pressings instead of the dreaded recent MOD CD-R versions in recent years. Hastings stocked a sizable amount of classic music, especially jazz, rock and country. New Jersey merchandising mogul Joel Weinshanker acquired Hastings in 2014 and roughly two years later, they filed bankruptcy. Although Hastings is dearly missed by many of us, the positive aspect is that nothing seemed to go to waste. You could place an order online today and later receive a sealed copy with the recognizable Hastings barcode tag on the front.

 

Weinshanker really got hosed on the buy. Figures China bought a lot, probably the non media stuff.

 

You don't have to look too far for dirt cheap CDs.

 

Yeah, a fake Barbara Streisand Christmas Album. After 10 years, I might take the hint and bin it.

 

Music is music, whatever the format.

 

Yes true, but Amazon did indeed kick used CD sellers to the curb about 3 or 4 years ago. Used LP sellers were left alone to continue. I had just unloaded 1,300 CDs when the hammer came down at Amazon. So lucky for me. Also was lucky because the value of many of the CDs would drop by 60% in another couple of years.

 

The newer rules put in place in regards to music were used CD sellers. The reasons seem to be that many sellers were listing CDs for a penny or .50 basically making no money for Amazon or the seller, just cheapening the value of the product for all sellers. The major labels trying to keep the price high for new product (of course) hated seeing those penny CDs.

So the solution was to knee-cap the used CD sellers entirely. The way to do this was to insist that these sellers provide receipts for the purchase of their product, and make sure the receipts were from a known distributer in the US. This worked, Amazon's used CD sellers (95% of them) dropped off the site overnight, and likely moved to eBay, etc.

Vinyl sellers were not affected by this new policy. So much of the vinyl being sold was no longer being pressed by the labels, and prices were not in the penny to fifty-cent range anyway.

 

I'm sorry, what are you saying? That my album is fake, or after 10 years the item is not worth selling?

I have items that do indeed sell after years of being listed for sale. And I like seeing my old stock finally sell. I just sold a $25 item that has been up for quite a while. Still Sealed condition on old vintage LPs is my favorite thing to have in stock. They all do sell eventually, and I get top dollar when they sell. I got $30 for a Steve and Eddie Gorme, and Vicki Carr Live at the Greek 2LP set fetched $36 in ss condition. And Amazon is where the buyer for these kinds of items shops and feel most comfortable. It is not top tier titles at all, but nice new old stock.

If you have 500 or 1000 items up at Amazon listed for sale. These will generate weekly or monthly cash flow for many years. Not big bucks but decent money coming in with little to no work. Some will take years, some will take months, and a few might never sell. But you play the numbers game and it works out. It's a side hustle I think they call it. Once you get used to having $20 bills falling from the sky weekly or at least monthly, it becomes addictive.

 

Actually those penny CDs made money for Amazon. Their profit is baked into the fee structure. But the were ruining the market for common catalog titles and the majors hated them.

Amazon also instituted rules that made it cost-inefficient for most media sellers to use FBA, where Amazon ships the stuff, most significant among them is that you pay for storage for any title you ship them, and from day one. In the good old days, you could ship them long tail stuff and the first copy of any title would get stored free.

 

That move definitely shifted my purchases to eBay and Discogs.

 

But no one has replaced the GoHastings bargain CDs, which were often less than $1/each, including shipping.

 

I think it was the idea of someone faking a Barbara Streisand Christmas Album that I found strange, not your copy being a fake. If you have the patience, then go for it, but personally I would concentrate on something more commercial (although as you point out, how many still sealed copies still exist).

 

I have a Discogs account with tons more stuff than my amazon account has. I have a strategy of certain things on Amazon and others elsewhere and priced differently depending on fees, etc. And I could just forget about the Christmas album, but I really need to know about what and why that happened. Was it that Sony didn't like me with a sealed copy competing? I can forget about it, or consider what else I might change from New to Like New. I did sell some sealed Neil Diamond titles on Columbia not that long ago. No problem there. But yeah, the Amazon account is all about turning $1.00 LPs I found still sealed into $25 sales. I don't care if it is Larence Welk or Polka Dance Hits, I just want the sales. These records can be commercial if someone wants a sealed one, and I am the only seller with a brand new one.