yvynyl: You read that right, folks.  Used mp3s.  Um…

When people started selling iPods preloaded with music a few years ago the RIAA took a rather dim view of the practice and were able to shut the vendors down; I don’t know whether there have been any clear decisions since, but I wouldn’t think that the future looks too bright for Bopaboo.

The only possible reasoning I can see is that Bopaboo is planning to get the labels behind the service by spinning it as something like a “controlled, audited service that gives consumers a legitimate alternative to filesharing networks and transforms those ‘lost’ consumers into a compelling revenue stream for the music industry by offering a win-win value proposition.” [Why yes, I have written marketing copy at times, thank you very much.]

That’s so misguided that even the labels that bothered to listen would laugh in their faces, of course, but the only other reasoning I can see behind Bopaboo is “let’s try to make some cash before we get shut down,” and I would hope that they’re not deluded enough to believe that there are big numbers attached to this business.