Yesterday, Paul Weller announced that he would no longer be releasing products for Record Store Day due to the low number of copies being produced by record companies and the fact that "scalpers" are buying them up and selling the records at inflated prices.
The organizers of the semi-annual celebration of independent record stores have responded on their website, sympathizing with Weller's position and reassuring him and other artists that there are firm rules in place to try and prevent the resale problem.
We share Paul Weller's frustration at evidence that 'Brand New Toy' has been offered for sale on eBay, and we are disappointed that despite our best efforts to drive out the touts, once again some people are seeking to exploit the goodwill of artists and labels by selling RSD exclusives at vastly-inflated prices on eBay.
At just 500 copies Paul Weller’s ‘Brand New Toy’ was one of the most limited editions available on RSD and so some re-selling was expected. However, thanks to the measures we have taken on re-sales, overall the number of complaints about unauthorised sales this year is well down on previous years, though we continue to monitor eBay on an hour-by-hour basis.
We clearly cannot control the activities of members of the public, but the Record Store Day Code of Conduct makes it clear that any store found to be complicit in unauthorised sales on eBay faces being banned from future events.
Record Store Day would not exist without the support and commitment of artists and labels and we take our responsibility to them very seriously.
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