Us Patents and Trademark Laws and Regulations

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to rely on the marketing and distribution capabilities of music companies, and to sell directly to consumers on their own.

Substitutes and Complements

Is there a threat of substitutes for the music industry’s existing products? Are there complementary products that suggest an opportunity for collaboration?

I think that there is a threat of substitutes. People can go purchase an Apple IPod or MP3 player and illegally download the music without having to purchase it. There are things like the Amazon Store and the Google Playstore that offer collaboration. There are songs that can be downloaded to phones for a small price, even some free if they are older songs.

Customers

What characteristics of the company’s customer base influence the company’s competitiveness?

The demographic characteristics influence the competitiveness by the age of the target markets. The companies are going to want to have the latest music tracks that are popular by many individuals. Behavioral characteristics also affect the competitiveness because the consumer markets the products based on the usage rates and loyalty of the customers.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What has the company done to adapt to its environment?

They are taking over more the supply chain by manufacturing their own music. They are making deals with online music distributors such as Amazon to sell individual songs.

2. How does the company attempt to influence its environment?

They use new channels to target their audience such as social networking sites and websites as well as email databases. They are also seeking to enforce copyright laws forbidding the illegal copyrighting that has been going on.