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CD sales have rocketed upwards since the lawsuits were filed. Last night I stopped at a Borders to peek at Billboard, which carries the weekly Soundscan CD sales numbers in their print edition. The RIAA's 261 lawsuits were filed on September 8, and the Billboard dated Sept. 27 contains sales data for the week ending Sept.14 -- not quite one full week after the lawsuits hit the news. Sales week ending Sept. 14: 10,239,000 Sales same week, 2002: 9,947,000 So, year-ago sales were up 2.9% for the week following the RIAA lawsuits. Now, sales were up for the week ending Sept. 7, too, at 10,111,000; so sales were already running high before the filing of the suits. Today's USA Today reports that Big Music is on a roll. I assume this story represents Soundscan data for the week ending Sept. 28. Sales for the week are 12.5 million CDs, up 17% from the same week in 2002. It's the third consecutive week of rising sales. My guess, from looking at the Billboard sales graphs last night, is that this was the best week for Big Music sales in two years. "The gains likely have more to do with all the hot arrivals than the clampdown on the Internet's illegal music traders." Outkast, Dave Matthews, Limp Bizkit and R. Kelly lead the parade of happy sellers. But there is nothing here to suggest that the RIAA's interests are not being served by the lawsuits, and nothing to suggest that a mass consumer boycott is looming. http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2003-10-01-music_x.htm
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