Comments on: RIAA student victimisation campaign

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 20:45:21 +0000

The drop in CD sales relative to the lack of increase in online sales in and of itself ‘proves’ nothing. The two are linked, certainly, but not necessarily in a cause-effect relationship. Even a casual perusal of the RIAA’s own statistics, attempting to cite this supposed relationship, totally ignores as contributing factors three items with as strong, if not stronger causality relationship to declining CD sales:

* The overall economic downturn happening at the same time, impacting overall discretionary spending,
* The significant growth in houselold penetration of both DVD players (stand-alone and computer peripheral) and gaming consoles,
* The directly resultant significant increases in discretionary spending on DVD and game media,
* Increasing use by Wal-Mart of CDs as a loss leader to lure shoppers into the store to shop for higher margin items,
* The resultant margin pressure on standalone music retailers, many of whom are no longer in business as they couldn’t compete on price with Wal-Mart.

No dispute with your take on the legality of illegal downloading. The artists of all stripes that contribute to the media we enjoy should be better paid than they currently are for their work in writing, performing, and engineering the media we enjoy.

Sadly, the RIAA loves to equate any act of infringement (real or contrived - such as their recent DCMA take down notice to Yahoo for the 27 second home video of a young child ‘performing’ a copyrighted song) as a lost sale. Were that the case, based on the number of RIAA suits (or attempted self-incrimination trolls), the recording industry would be one of the largest growing industries in the economy.

However, due to the RIAA’s inability to recognize and capitalize on the change in the listening habits, the Recording Industry is an increasing marginal player, while at the same time the Music Industry continues to reflect healthy growth.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 02:51:52 +0000

My school is on the map! (not sure that’s a good thing, but i’ve graduated so best of luck to them) Western Kentucky University

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 02:06:40 +0000

Anyone who believes musicians don’t deserve to earn money for the work they do has never been a recording engineer. That shit is hard work, regardless of the style or choice of music. Record companies deserve to make money, and P2P is not equivalent to tape, VHS, or even CD copying-
with tape & VHS you got massive degradation, and with all three, it took time- P2P is easy, and useless. It devalues music in the minds of consumers, and the statistics on the drop in CD sales relative to the lack of increase in online sales proves it. If you download music without paying for it, you’re no better than the RIAA- just another criminal. Don’t try to defend yourselves. Allofmp3.com does not pay anybody but themselves, and certainly not the artists. Get a grip.

By: ToastMaster

ToastMaster — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 19:04:35 +0000

I read somewhere that the RIAA is now the most ‘hated’ corporation in America. Considering the rise of gas prices, thats astounding they were able to steal that spot. They aren’t necessarily trying to get all the people who fileshare put in jail or bankrupt from paying all the ridiculous fines and court fees involved. They are using a scare tactic to try to prevent people from using file sharing.

I used to buy CD’s, but with all the crap that the RIAA is throwing around, I refuse to anymore. I would much rather just listen to HD radio, bands that are independent of the RIAA, or just purchase my MP3’s from a website such as allofmp3.com where only the artist is given money from my purchase. The recording industry is a multi-billion dollar industry for doing what? Allowing musicians to use their studios? Sure, there is promoting involved, but if they weren’t there, the promoting would be the internet and radio. 90% of new music I find nowadays is via the internet, through sites that have absolutely nothing to do with the RIAA (most of which the RIAA does not approve of). I’ll be damned if my hard earned coin goes to those greedy corporate bullies. They can buy as many politicians as they want, I still won’t support them or the politicians they bought to help their political agenda.

By: Vince

Vince — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 12:49:44 +0000

This is terrible business practice. Most college kids have little or no money. Someday they will have much more money. That means that someday they will buy CDs or digital music.

Nothing like alienating your future client base! Indy music never had a better ally.

By: Rick

Rick — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 12:39:47 +0000

The RIAA is the biggest reason I’ve stopped buying music cd’s. I just listen to the radio or the cd’s I currently have. Besides, with 10,000 channels on cable, who needs cd’s I will admit that I buy some music direct from the authors or independents not connected with the RIAA.

By: John

John — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 10:25:10 +0000

Students have a plethora of options for sharing music files with their friends. One of the best solutions is GigaTribe, which lets friends download directly from the “shared folders” on each others pc’s. As all exchanges are encrypted, no one can track what it is exactly that you’re uploading/downloading between each other. More info and the free download at: http://www.gigatribe.com

By: SG

SG — Tue, 24 Jul 2007 02:32:04 +0000

Recording Industry griped about audiocassettes years ago and how they were gonna destroy the industry; They also said selling used CDs was gonna break the industry too (hasn’t happened)and today they are richer than they ever were…I say borrow the music you listen to…how many of those songs are you still listening to 5-10 years later…not many. I have CDs I haven’t cracked open in several years. And I can’t feel guilty about downloading because I replaced many of my records with audiocassettes, and many of my audiocassettes with CDs. Recording execs are greedy-they should be fostering good relations with consumers. I get my music many ways but there’s no way I am going to purchase everything I listen to just because I want to listen to it a few extra times. Artists should do like Prince did in UK and basically give his album away with a magazine purchase and he is gonna give a free copy to concertgoers also, better exposure for him. Most artists supposedly make the majority of their $$$ from concerts anyway.

By: Longhorn

Longhorn — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 23:23:56 +0000

Yeah, they’re staying the hell out of College Station, even the RIAA has standards.

By: Michael Triggs

Michael Triggs — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 23:12:41 +0000

Er - remove the excess ‘to’.

By: Michael Triggs

Michael Triggs — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 23:11:49 +0000

There’s a very simple answer to all this, but it’s a very tough pill to swallow. Every time you purchase a CD from a large record label, remember you are helping to pay for their next round of lawsuits. STOP buying their music. STOP supporting their bands. Begin to purchasing the wares of the independent artists that are on smaller labels that don’t sue everything with a pulse.

By: tergen

tergen — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 22:14:54 +0000

Upset,

They wouldn’t dare take on the corps. It’s easier to target poor college students who cannot afford legal representation. That’s what makes this a campaign of victimization.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 22:14:34 +0000

Copyright and patent laws only benefit the mega corporations (read cartels for RIAA clients). They do little for civilization except stifle innovation and generate huge incomes for law firms.

By: chas

chas — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 22:13:43 +0000

the RIAA trolls are already here planting comments that will be used to target A&M and UD. Lovely tactics….

By: Upset

Upset — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 21:39:54 +0000

What the hell is wrong with the RIAA? They’re targetting kids trying to get an education?
Go after the black markets and the corporate file sharing violations, but leave the college kids alone.
Most of them are just trying to get an education on a very thin budget.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 18:39:29 +0000

When I was at the University of Delaware, they had just upgrade their connection. Download speeds were so fast.

By: William

William — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 18:31:36 +0000

I’m really torn on this issue, as I go to one of the universities on that list and it’s gonna suck if all our file sharing gets shut down. On the other hand, the RIAA is legally justified to do this, so I can’t be too pissed at them. Oh wait, they still pull in 6 digit incomes…huh….

It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that prevents us from living freely and nobly. –Thoreau

HD Thoreau to the rescue.

By: Benji

Benji — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 17:04:23 +0000

One of these days the RIAA trolls will sign on instead of trying to pretend they are just regular posters.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 16:24:40 +0000

whom ever wrote the essay is a queer.

By: Reader's Write

Reader's Write — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 15:43:48 +0000

The RIAA is trying to fight a situation which allows anonymous and widespread illegal reproduction and distribution of materials copyrighted by those it represents. Their tactics at trying to identify perpetrators may be unconventional, but in a historical context, so is the means by which the copying is being done. The RIAA is not really doing anything wrong legally or morally here. Somehow people seem to think the existence of technology allowing widespread and almost effortless copyright infringement is proof of the acceptability of those actions, yet this is unequivocally false. Moreover, while I don’t see any reason the universities should be required to help the RIAA in their quest, the idea that they would be morally in the wrong for doing so is absurd. They are being contacted primarily in their capacity as an ISP for their students, just as the RIAA has contacted many other non-university ISPs with similar aims. And just as any other ISP, they are not required to actively try to prevent this activity from taking place, nor are they required to provide legal assistance to their clients when they find themselves in potential legal trouble for doing this.