"We're lowering prices because of the costs of piracy"

Over at Slashdot, the denizens are having lots of fun mashing the piñata:

HMV Canada Cuts Music CD Prices

umStefa notes a CBC story reporting that the largest music retailer in Canada, HMV, has slashed prices on CDs and is attributing the move to demand by customers for lower prices. The back catalog of popular artists will see price cuts of up to 33%; the cuts average 20% across the board. The Canadian version of the RIAA is spinning the news as being a direct result of music piracy.

The slashdotters have been having lots of fun whacking away at the embedded notions:

PunkOfLinux: Because, as we all know, customers who want CD's at a decent price are OBVIOUSLY pirates...

Otter Escaping North: You know - I'm living in Canada, never used p2p or anything like that to download music...don't consider myself a pirate at all. Happy to pay for the materials I want. Upon hearing HMV is slashing prices - I rejoice and head to the website.
The White Album is still forty-five freakin' dollars!
Piracy causes lower prices then, does it? I guess I just haven't been doing my part.

Gr33nNight: So in other words, if people keep pirating, then CDs will be cheaper. Sounds like a win-win to me.

teh loon: Spinning the news as software piracy won't help their agenda - I'm quite sure no consumer is going to feel sympathy for the RIAA's loss of potential profits. If anything, it'll encourage piracy - CDs are already overpriced as it is.