p2pnet - rss feed: Hit the RIAA and Big Music where it hurts!
p2pnet news | Freedom:-Well, they’ve done it.
Four venal record companies, EMI (Britain), Vivendi Universal (France), Sony BMG (Japan and Germany) and Warner Music (US), have bankrupted a single mother with two children in their lust for money.
In what has to be one of the most outrageous verdicts ever recorded in America, without a shred of hard evidence, judge Michael J. Davis virtually instructed the jury to find Jamie Thomas guilty of copyright infringement, saying she must pay close to a quarter of a million dollars.
In the process, he made a mockery of the principle of fair use and a fair trial.
To all intents and purposes, the Big 4, all members of an organised music cartel who’ve been found guilty of price-fixing and bribery, among other things, own the RIAA, short for Recording Industry Association of America, and scores of similar organisations around the world, for example the BPI (British Phonographic Industry), IFPI (International Federation of Phonographic Industry), CRIA (Canadian Recording Industry Association), ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association), and so on.
They’re determined to gain control of how ‘product,’ as they correctly call their shabby and over-priced offerings, is distributed online, and to make sure they, and no one else, are doing the distributing.
It isn’t enough for them to share the pie. They want it all and they’ll stop at nothing to get it.
Ultimately, they’ll lose, but not because of public opinion, not because of court decisions and not because they suddenly realise suing their own customers is a ridiculous path to take.
It’ll be because their shareholders tell them ‘enough is enough’ and to make that happen sooner rather than later, it’s up to you to stop buying ‘product’ from the Big 4 and from any of the companies linked to the RIAA —- all 1,636 of them, listed here.
If these companies are smart, they’ll dissociate themselves from the RIAA and the Big 4 at the earliest opportunity, following the example of Canada’s Nettwerk Music which decided it wanted no more of the RIAA last year.
Notwithstanding, the RIAA still lists Nettwerk Records as a member. And this means companies which value their reputations and their customer bases will also need to make it loud and clear they’re no longer anything to do with the Big 4 or any of their alphabet enforcement organisations.
‘I can’t make a difference …’
‘It won’t make any difference if I stop buying,’ you may be saying to yourself.
But it will.
You may be only one person. But there are many hundreds of millions of people just like you. If you decide to blacklist every label
associated with the Big 4 and/or the RIAA, and you tell a friend who tells a friend who tells a friend …..
And there’s something else to consider.
Money isn’t everything
The labels are victimising thousands of ordinary people safe, they think, in the knowledge that these people don’t have the resources to defend themselves or stand up to them.
What can an average America mother do against the multi-billion-dollar labels with their legions of lawyers, obscene political connections and bottomless pockets? - they say to themselves.
But money, lawyers and political clout aren’t all there is.
In the modern digital world, the labels and everything and everyone associated with them, depend on computer systems to keep the wheels rolling and money pouring in.
Who runs the computers? Hundreds of thousands of technicians, admins, sysops and others who serve as support staff.
And all of them are very ordinary people just like the very ordinary people whose lives are being ruined by the RIAA and the other Big 4 hit outfits around the world.
If the people who maintain the systems were to stage strikes, work-to-rule or similar legal protests in support of the corporate victims, many of whom will be their own relatives, it’d soon make the people who run the labels realize who’s really in charge.
And they’d use the Net and blogs and IM and cellphones and all the other 21st digital century communication technologies and systems to spread the word.
Think about it.
As I say here, for the first time in their history, the cartel members are fighting a losing battle.
P2P is here to stay and it doesn’t matter how much money they spend, there’s nothing they can do about it.
More and more people are signing up for Net accounts every day and in the process, they’re discovering realities the Big 4 would rather they didn’t know.
The mainstream media are no longer the only sources of news and information and the ranks of new consumers - men, women and children who’ll go to any lengths rather than buy overpriced, low quality corporate ‘product’ - are swelling hour by hour as more and more people open accounts and log on.
The solution is simple and can be summed up in five words —-
Dont Buy Big 4 ‘Product’.
You wont see ‘reports’ or ’studies’ explicating how many sales have been lost as consumers in their millions turn away from the former music masters.
But it doesn’t matter.
We know.
And they know.
Click here for the RIAA’s own list of record companies.
It’s long, I know, but take the trouble to print it out, put it in your pocket and the next time you plan on buying a CD, check it and make sure the label isn’t on the list.
If it is, don’t buy it.
It shouldn’t be too much trouble for you to find a similar list naming the labels which operate in your country. In fact, you’ll probably find most of them are already on the RIAA roll call.
And don’t forget to check the excellent RIAA Radar, an application custom-built so you can use easily and instantly discover if an album was released by an RIAA member, as a p2pnet reader points out.
We don’t need them, but they sure as hell need us and the only way we can make them understand that is to hit them where it hurts - in their wallets.
Hit them where it hurts and make them understand where their true interests lie.
Cheers!
Jon Newton - p2pnet
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October 5th, 2007 at 8:20 am
I used to buy music, but stopped in 2004. Since then I haven’t bought a single CD, and despite my own personal boycott I haven’t suffered for want of music. It’s easy when alternatives are as plentiful as they are today. I felt really good about my decision then, and even more so now, especially with the latest RIAA shenanigans making headlines. It’s been slow, but I have managed to get most of my friends and family on board over the years, and feel especially good about that. The RIAA will eventually die. It is inevitable with how they treat their customers. In fact, where I live I’ve seen several bad businesses go bankrupt simply by word of mouth alone, so I know first hand that it can be done. It just takes time and the will of the people. Together we can make a difference. Spread the word.
October 5th, 2007 at 9:05 am
This woman should try to escape to the freedom-loving nation of Canada to avoid this kind of persecution.
October 5th, 2007 at 9:06 am
OMG! 7 Spin is associated with the RIAA. I like one of their artists, Sevenglory and am/was looking forward to their second release.
October 5th, 2007 at 9:20 am
I considered buying John Fogerty’s new album, Revival, when it came out the other
day, but when I found out its label (Fantasy) was RIAA, I changed my mind.
Sorry, John.
I may have liked your music, but the fact your label is RIAA means I won’t
be buying Revival unless it is a used copy (which the RIAA makes no money
from.)
October 5th, 2007 at 9:56 am
Best way to know if a CD is from one of these RIAA parasite is to check first at:
http://www.riaaradar.com/
Also don not buy any music online from Itune or overwise. The boycott has been growing continuously since Napster and it is now accelerating. I am hoping that these outragous rigged trial will trigger the tiping point of the boycott (90% music sale down will wipe these parasites down in less than a year).
October 5th, 2007 at 9:59 am
” That the courtroom oath no longer means SHIT! Did you read the
evidence? The woman used the same name for her MySpace account, to get dates
on Match.com… Talk about GUILTY! ”
Really ? This is automatic Guilt ?
A frequently used name, that MANY OTHERS see and know ?
I wonder what might happen if someone
were to take a user name they like,
from one they have seen in a forum
or such, and use it for themselves on
something like , let’s say .. Kazaa ?
For example, the name ‘Lefsetz” sticks
in my head for some reason. It could
be a really NEET name to use as a
username for something like .. Kazaa
or such, couldn’t it.
Get where I am going with this ?
She uses that name everywhere, it’s
pretty well known in her net circles etc ..
A pseudonym means shit.
It points to a real person like an IP
does.
Anyone could have seen it, and knowing
the climate for Kazaa users, it would
actually be SMART for someone to
coopt anothers known user name.
Guilty as sin ?
eat a bowl of dicks lefsetz.
On the other hand ….
All this time the RIAA has fought kincing and screaming
to stay OUT of a jury trial.
THIS one happens somewhat easily.
I don’t think this is coincidence.
I do think the Judge has some as yet
unknown ties to the industry.
I believe this is a big fat set up.
Here’s what I would like to see, if possible.
We as an INTERNET community really
need to prove just how off base this is.
On Sunday, the 13th of October ….
All kazaa users should,
Use a pseudonym that is a variant of ..
tereastar
Rgabriel
Csherman
DGlickman.
Lefsetz
Imagine,
EVERY user that day using a variation
of one of those names.
Take SCREENSHOTS of a huge landscape
of KAzaa users, ALL using similar names.
Provide these screenshots to the
defense attorneys to show the judge
at the appeal.
This would demonstrate, once and for
all the ABSURDITY of using a pseudonym
as incontrovertible evidence.
I don’t know if the P2P community could
be mobilized in this way, or if they are
too jaded to care, but I am throwing
this out there anyway.
All Kazaa Users ..
Sunday, October 13th 2007
tereastar day.
sign on as a variant of
tereastar
rgabriel
dglickman
csherman.
lefsetz
Everyone.
Show the judge and that DUMBASS
jury just how WRONG they are.
Spread the word.
October 5th, 2007 at 10:27 am
Yes, i’m stupid.
Sunday, October 14th .. 2007
( so pissed can’t think straght )
October 5th, 2007 at 10:43 am
/sigh
The solution is simple. PeerGuardian. Proxies. IRC.
’nuff said.
October 5th, 2007 at 10:59 am
Related to music legend Miles Davis ?
Could esplain a few things.
October 5th, 2007 at 11:17 am
I HATE THE EVIL BIG THREE AUTOMAKERS. WE SHOULD HAVE THE RIGHT TO DRIVE WHATEVER CAR WE WANT WITHOUT PAYING FOR IT. AND THE EVIL RIAA, HOW DARE THEY DEMAND THAT THEY MAKE MONEY WHEN ALL MUSIC SHOULD BE FREE? CARS SHOULD BE FREE TOO! WE ALSO SHOULDN’T HAVE SECURITY ON ONLINE BANK ACCOUNTS. PASSWORD ENCRYPTION IS LIKE DRM! DRM ON BANK ACCOUNTS IS EEEEEEVIL. I SHOULD NOT GET IN TROUBLE FOR TAKING 99 CENTS FROM YOUR BANK ACCOUNT? I MEAN, GEEZ, EVERYBODY KNOWS THAT THE BIG BANKS ARE EVIL AND THEY STEAL FROM THEIR ACCOUNT HOLDERS. SO WHY CAN’T I STEAL FROM YOU AND YOUR EVIL BANK ACCOUNT? I WILL JUST TAKE 99 CENTS PER DAY OUT OF YOUR ACCOUNT AND DRIVE YOUR CAR AROUND WHENEVER I WANT. WHAT’S THE BIG DEAL? SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE YOU MORONS. STEALING IS OK AMERICA. STEAL AND STEAL AND STEAL.
F**K ALL OF YOU
October 5th, 2007 at 11:38 am
So sharing copies of digital songs is the same as auto or monetary theft?
Yeah… good analogy there, dumbass.
October 5th, 2007 at 11:51 am
Right now I prefoer to use Spiral Frog to get free music. I may get another paid music subscription, just not quite yet. I prefer not to allow other’s to tell me to boycott music I like. If I like it I get it fotree legally or I rent it or I buy it.
October 5th, 2007 at 12:05 pm
I have not bought a new CD for a number of years, and will not do so again until the recording industry stops suing music fans, stops using DRM, and starts treating music lovers as valued customers. I like shopping for used CDs, and managed to pick up 4 recently released CDs for 50 cents each earlier this week (clearance sale, regular price was $1.99
).
October 5th, 2007 at 12:12 pm
A Native American nailed by an African American …
October 5th, 2007 at 12:19 pm
” I prefer not to allow other’s to tell me to boycott music I like. If I like it I get it fotree legally or I rent it or I buy it. ”
You again eh ?
I buy it legally too.
From Pawn shops, and used CD resellers.
Not a dime goes to the RIAA from my pocket that way.
Also, there are a LOT of non-RIAA artists to choose from, some even LIKE you to
download :).
It is still possible to boycott AND get what you want legally.
Of course, no ones the boss of a smart guy like you ;).
Downloading will NEVER = a lost sale.
October 5th, 2007 at 12:23 pm
Garage sales. Second-hand music stores. Sneaker-net. Burning your own CDs from vinyl. Trading with friends. Sally Ann and other thrift stores. Online indie sites.
And so on …….
October 5th, 2007 at 3:05 pm
I’m sick of hearing FOX News put the spin that she was caught sharing over 1,700 files. I guess it would sound too greedy for the record industry if they said she was fined $220,000 for only 25 songs.
October 5th, 2007 at 5:25 pm
I haven’t bought a new cd from an RIAA lable in years. Even way back in the early eighties, I would shop the used bins. I only buy new from independent artists I like, and being one myself, I dream of the day when the major lables go out of business. Everyone has a website, most of ‘em sell their cds. Indie artists have been up against the gatekeepers of radio and distribution for years, and now they’re losing control of how people hear music. Gaia Consort puts all our music up for free at http://www.gaiaconsort.com/lyrics.html
I’d LOVE it if people were trading our stuff - because in an age when it still costs a fortune to get onto commercial radio, the internet is the way indies can get heard.
Music is a part of the cultural commons. You can’t own an idea, as much as the RIAA would like to make us believe we owe them for everytime we hear a song or even think it. Not very long ago, ideas after a reasonable time, fell into the public domain. In a free country, the RIAA would already have lost it’s claim to ownership on most of it’s catalog to start with. I’m with most people here: boycot ‘em and let ‘em go bancrupt.
October 5th, 2007 at 6:19 pm
If I buy a used album form say Amazon.com would the money still go to the RIAA? I wanted to get Weird Al’s newest album since it came out last year but have been putting it off since Sony- Bowel Movement Group owns his name.
October 5th, 2007 at 6:35 pm
Jon, I just heard the CBC here on the island with Jeremy DeBeer. Check it out if you can
October 5th, 2007 at 8:10 pm
WHAT WE ALL SHOULD DO IS ALL DONATE $1.00 FOR HER FINE OT 1 CENT TO HER FINE AND THEN DELIVER IT TO THE RIAA DOOR STEP…IN A DUMPTRUCK!
COUNT THIS!
October 5th, 2007 at 9:09 pm
i regularly pay mp3fiesta.com $1.00 for a complete album. so far i have downloaded 95gb.
i would encourage american consumers to consider seriously hurting the pimps at riaa by buying from the russian sites
October 5th, 2007 at 9:20 pm
” i would encourage american consumers to consider seriously hurting the pimps at riaa by buying from the russian sites ”
Unfortunately, you aren’t hurting the labels at all by doing that.
Those russian sites PAY THEIR FEES to the russian versions of collective societies like SoundExchange.
The reason that the labels wish to shut them downs is the fact that these russian sites are charging
REASONABLE amounts of money for their product, and don’t lock it up with DRM.
They won’t play ball the way the labels want them to, so the labels LIE, and say they don’t pay.
They’re competition.
Buying from the russian sites still pays the RIAA member labels .. just not as much as the labels
would like
The only way to insure the labels get nothing is to buy second hand.
They haven’t gotten the First Sale Doctrine repealed ( yet ).
October 5th, 2007 at 9:27 pm
I wont buy cds from any popular artists because of the RIAA tactics on their consumers. I will buy local artists cds if i happen to be at a show. And most of them are better then what is on the radio.
For example Veer, Bronwen, Ten Second Epic, The Racket, Treshell, Open Parachute, Johnny Good, LTG, Cry of Silence, and The Turn. Those are only a few of the great indie talent we have in Canada. Most are from Vancouver, Edmonton or Toronto. Check them out, and youll see waht I mean. All can be found on myspace.
October 6th, 2007 at 12:13 am
Hey, quick note: Absolutely Kosher is definitively NOT, repeat NOT a member of the RIAA. However, AK is distributed by (among other distributors, eg Revolver) Fontana, which is owned in part by Universal, which perhaps led to your confusion. This distribution has NOTHING to do with RIAA membership. Please correct your list.
October 6th, 2007 at 1:23 am
What the fuck is this? Man this is so stupid trying to boycott music. Well, I’m going to get whatever music I want whether it’s on iTunes or full albums like at Wal-Mart. I don’t know, we need to make sure the artists get paid somehow. I can’t make it to their concerts, so the least I could do is buy their music BRAND NEW.
I don’t know whether or not the Eagles are the RIAA or not, but they’re coming out with a new album (Which I have been waiting for years!) distributed only at Wal-Mart. They deserve all the respekt they can get.
October 6th, 2007 at 7:44 am
boikot to all riaa and mpaa mafias
October 6th, 2007 at 8:52 am
” What the fuck is this? Man this is so stupid trying to boycott music. Well, I’m going to get whatever music I want whether it’s on iTunes or full albums like at Wal-Mart. I don’t know, we need to make sure the artists get paid somehow. I can’t make it to their concerts, so the least I could do is buy their music BRAND NEW. ”
Well David,
We’ve covered this before .. a lot.
Artists does NOT equal rights holder.
Buying the CD pays the Rights holder.
The rights holder is nearly ALWAYS the label, not the artist.
The label then pays the artist, sometimes, if they can find them.
out of a 20.00 CD the artists might get 25 cents if they are lucky, but you know that.
Buying CD’s new will only help fund the labels, so they can continue to sue people without
needing evidence of any kind.
Are you STILL hoping some label will look at your site and want to sign you ?
October 6th, 2007 at 9:57 am
David,
If you think that artists are getting paid for RIAA music, think again.
I suggest you read The Problem With Music:
http://negativland.com/albini.html
October 6th, 2007 at 11:18 am
What?! My name’s not David - I’m just some other person who has a problem with this boycott shit. You guys are crazy - people as a whole aren’t going to boycott them. There will always be customers. I myself am one of them. I love music, and the feeling of opening a fresh, brand new, CD.
If this Jeannie Thomas or whatever her name is actually committed this crime, she deserves to pay it. She had the chance to settle, and she gave up that chance. After all, it says on CD’s that unauthorized reproduction is illegal and subject to the FBI. Stupid people should know better than messing with the law and the RIAA
I don’t what you are talking about, but artists do get paid for EVERY CD. It’s a royalty, an agreement. Artists are in for the money, too.
October 6th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
This won’t change me, I have not bought anything since 2002 and am not planning on buying anything anytime soon.
Hey! I just seen the DVD release of “I now pronounce you chuck&Larry” That was funny!
DVD downloaded and watched at home on my tv and it’s not available to the public till november.
hahahahahaha
why in the hell do I need the industry , Long live the pirates.
October 6th, 2007 at 1:26 pm
” I don’t what you are talking about, but artists do get paid for EVERY CD. It’s a royalty, an agreement. Artists are in for the money, too. ”
I realise you don’t know what i’m talking about.
That’s obvious.
I’ve turned away 2 label contracts in my lifetime as an artists, so I am aware just what an artists
gets, and DOESN’T get .. which Is why I turned them down.
Artists do what they do because they are artists.
They were born to it, they live it and breathe it, and do it whether or not they get paid .. that’s an artist.
What you speak of is called a mercenary
The music business is a horrible place for a mercenary, because artists DON’T GET SQUAT
Did you bother to read the negativeland link above David ?
I have a feeling you know exactly whats there already.
Eventually, people as a whole will indeed get sick of what they are doing, they know that.
That’s the main reason why mainstream news is saying VERY little.
The RIAA know the outrage that it will cause.
Stupid corporations KNOW better than to mess with their customers too much.
” If this Jeannie Thomas or whatever her name is actually committed this crime, she deserves to pay it. ”
And we may never know if she did, since the RIAA lawyers were not required to provide any evidence that
ANYONE EVER downloaded any files from her, nor were they required to provide ANY eveidence that
it was , in fact her, at the time.
She was convicted simply becuase the RIAA said it was her.
This will be overturned.
October 6th, 2007 at 5:24 pm
By the way if she did it and this is unproven this was not a crime.
The Criminals are those that are bringing about this type of justice farce and who are damaging our country in the name of the god money. The real criminals are those in congress that pseudo vote for pseudo law such as the DMCA or the patriot act, or city laws that ask people for a “permit” for organizing a peaceful demonstration or bearing arm; pseudo law because they violate the constitution the supreme law of the land, pseudo law because therefore null and unenforceable.
The criminals are those trying to enforce such pseudo laws, and violating the people constitutional rights. The criminals are those that try to make you believe by advocating such pseudo laws, that torture for example can be legal in the US and its dependency in fact in total violation of the US constitution.
October 7th, 2007 at 11:48 pm
” If this Jeannie Thomas or whatever her name is actually committed this crime, she deserves to pay it. ”
Perhaps, but she doesn’t deserve to pay a quarter of a million dollars. The penalties against digital copyright infringement are ridiculously out of proportion to the crime itself. Do a bit of research. You’ll find that the average fine for some of the most violent and horrific crimes don’t even come close to what this woman is expected to pay. A child pornographer in Georgia can’t be fined more than $10,000 for his crimes. The fine for sexual exploitation of a child in that same state can’t be more than $100,000. You don’t even want to know how little a person can get off on for rape. Does that make sense to you?
I am wholeheartedly in agreement and support of a boycott. If you feel guilty about the Artist not getting their cut (despite how pitiful it actually is)…. send them a fan letter with what you would have paid for the CD (assuming you used a p2p resource to obtain it). Feel free to explain that you love their music but refuse to support their label. You’ll be giving them 98% more than what they would have received if you had purchased it.
October 8th, 2007 at 2:00 am
Insanity, you must be insane!
The RIAA needs the money. Does it sound like a lot? Yes! However, the labels need to be paid too. They are the ones who ship out the CD’s and package the items. If they ship an album that doesn’t sell well, they are stuck with it. There’s a lot of money going into this kind of stuff.
I’m just tired of the boycott shit. grow up people!
And BTW, my name’s not David!
October 8th, 2007 at 3:56 am
Make the RIAA pay to have there own “anti-piracy” tools rendered useless.
Remember the music industry paid companies to flood the P2P networks with fake files. It ruined the P2P networks. We can do the same to their sources of information. “1-800-BAD-BEAT” is the toll free number that the RIAA advertises to call if you want to report an incident of piracy you encountered. Because it is toll-free it means the RIAA pays for every minute of every call it receives. If every person called this toll free number on a regular basis and gave them mis-information or just told them that we protest their tatics, it make them pay out of their own pocket for the priviledge of having mis-information or just hearing protests. Just keep the line open for as long as possible to make them pay mor
October 8th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
Agreed. Boycott is the answer here. I haven’t bought a single article of recorded entertainment since the RIAA/MPAA types declared War on America.
October 8th, 2007 at 1:52 pm
” The RIAA needs the money. ”
Did you say that with a straight face ?
I laughed my coffee through my nose when I read that
” Does it sound like a lot? Yes! However, the labels need to be paid too. ”
True,
But why do they ‘deserve’ so much more than the actual artists ?
with about 4 percent of the dollar going to the artist, and the rest to the label,
it doesn’t sound like the labels are really hurting.
” They are the ones who ship out the CD’s and package the items. ”
No longer necessary.
AllofMP3 ( a comepletely legal site ) proves that.
People WILL pay a reasonable price for a legal produst, rather than use the hassle of
SOME p2p methods.
All of MP3 pays their feed to the russian version of SoundExchange, and is completely legal.
It is the Business Model the labesl should be EMULATING, not trying to kill.
They’re too stupid.
” If they ship an album that doesn’t sell well, they are stuck with it. ”
Tough shit.
If I write a song and no one likes it ( happens too often i’m afraid ) is it everyone elses fault they
hate it and won’t cough up cash for it ?
Is it their fault that they download it, hate it, and won’t buy the CD ?
Stuff sucks, and doesn’t sell.
Put out stuff that doesn’t suck.
” I’m just tired of the boycott shit. grow up people! ”
LOL, no one is forcing you to boycott.
Gosh knows no one is taking you seriously anymore either, David.
If you don’t want to, don’t boycott
If you think what the labels are doing through their puppet organization, the RIAA, is
wrong and must stop .. boycott.
If you MUST have it, buy second hand.
I have a feeling the boycotters will outnumber you … greatly.
October 8th, 2007 at 5:36 pm
We gave a lot of money to the judge. Much more than all the money he would have earn in 10 years. It was an irresiistible offer for him. As far the jury is concerned I just want to let you know that it was a courtesy of the MPAA who lend us 12 Holywood actors to play the jurrors. They did a great job and fortunatly because we pay them greatly too! Do you really think that we could have win this if it was not a setup?
Now you can use this post in the comming criminal case for corruption.
Carry Sue (Shitman oops!) Sherman.
October 8th, 2007 at 5:38 pm
Opps again sorry!
Unsincerely yours.
Carry Sue Sherman.
October 8th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Yes! Yes!
It’s me really!
Carry Sue Sherman.
October 10th, 2007 at 8:38 am
These record companies are insane. How can anyone in their right mind financially rape a single mother and expect it to be a good outcome.
Boycotting is a good response. From this point on, I’ll buy only used CD’s or borrow to listen. I’m done with buying music “new” and feeding these dollar sucking pigs.
October 10th, 2007 at 2:25 pm
“If they ship an album that doesn’t sell well, they are stuck with it.”
Personally, I despise CDs & DVDs and think the technology should be phased out entirely as a primary media format. Hard Drive Digital Media Players are the future of personal and home entertainment. Mass storage devices are becoming more affordable every year and it is only a matter of time before they become the standard of choice for media content delivery.
Although I’ve downloaded my share of music, I’ve also purchased content legitimately for download (they actually did something right when they started offering $.99 downloads). The problem with the latter is that vendors still insist on implementing non-standardized encryption methods to protect content. There are tools to strip out DRM (which I do)….but a lot of people don’t know how to do this and are pissed when they can’t play a song they bought and downloaded on an incompatible mp3 player. As far as I’m concerned, this only encourages people more to use p2p networks.
Rather than try to strong-arm their way into this new era with proprietary software and DRM practices, they should focus on making their content as easy as possible to purchase and use. Right now they’re trying to control all of the wrong things in all of the wrong ways. If the music and movie industries want to bring in more money, they should encourage online vendors to offer encryption free media and more creative buyer incentives. Instead of trying to protect media from being shared, why not just try to control the flow by allowing users to set up a ‘friends network’ which allows buyers to share content with friends/family at a discounted rate (or even for free….but then entice them to purchase their own media with seductive and irresistible adverts from the share portal). Offer discounts in the form of prepaid purchase cards so people are encouraged to buy music…but still feel like they’re getting a really good deal.
I realize the MIAA, labels and online music vendors are all separate entities…but perhaps this is part of the problem. By collaborating on more standardized & user friendly content delivery methods…..they’d all come out better in the end. This also includes the hardware manufacturers. Throw out the proprietary devices and adopt a standardized solution that allows customers to enjoy their purchases without having to install special software or be limited on what device they can enjoy their media.
None of this would stop file sharing, but I think it could encourage more people to buy music - which ultimately, is what this whole controversy is about (their bottom line). I even think there is a very large and hidden market of less security savvy p2p users who would buy music if the entire effort involved was as easy as using their p2p client. I’ll admit that I’m probably not one of them, but pretty much everyone in my extended family would be.
In the end…I know sharing music online is illegal. But so is speeding, cheating on your taxes, sampling grapes in the produce aisle and countless other things people do everyday that they know is wrong. Those annoying people screaming ‘but it’s stealing…you’re a thief and criminal!”…. just shush. Unless you’re the type of person who follows the law to a letter and would return an item to department store if you realized you weren’t charged for it…. stop preaching.
The RIAA thinks scare-tactics and ridiculously high fines will deter people from indulging in p2p file sharing….but they don’t. In fact, so many people are outraged by their methods, that they’re even more determined to do so out of spite. $9,000K per song is just stupid and unfair. Charging 10 times more than the song’s value would be fair and 10 times for every person they *KNEW* had downloaded the song from her (not some imaginary number of people they speculated on).
October 14th, 2007 at 3:43 pm
“The RIAA thinks scare-tactics and ridiculously high fines will deter people from indulging in p2p”
I am dowloading my head off and sharing nearly 40,000 tracks on various p2pnetworks simultaneously, just to bother these RIAA/MPAA piece of human craps since almost 3 years and I am not going to stop! I am not going to stop!
Where is my lawsuit?
Are you going to sue me RIAA? No? Why not? Am I too scarry for you?
I swear on the head of your god money: I am weak. I am very weak. Sue me RIAA!
October 16th, 2007 at 11:17 am
Has anyone thought to donate there CD to the Library?
where sharing is protected?
If everyone of you donated 1 or 2 CD’s to the library
the RIAA would have a real problem on there hands.