Post by TRIPWIRE on Apr 22, 2004 18:38:28 GMT -5
April 22, 2004
Damn the RIAA
Written by David M. Hickerson
Originally posted at tripwire.hickersonfamily.net/2004_0422.html
I think I've heald my tongue long enough on the subject of the Recording Industry Association of America, and I think I need to finaly vent some of my thoughts. It seems that the RIAA intends to sue everyone that shares music files from their PCs on pier to pier networks. Okay, I understand why that isn't quite legal, and I respect that thus I do no file sharing of that sort. However, the RIAA has also done an incredibly good job of making it dificult to make entirely legal copies of music for our personal enjoyment (such as copies of our CDs for our car so that in the event that it gets broken into and they are stolen we don't lose our master CDs).
This is probably my main complaint about the RIAA... the they have found a way to infringe on our fair use rights of music we have purchased copies of at the stores. Although it is perfectly legal for us to make copies for our own use, it is also perfectly legal for them to put copy protection on the dics that make it impossble for us to do so without violating laws that prohibit circumventing copy protection! Geeze, what a load of bullshit!
On top of that, the RIAA has the audacity to claim music piracy has cost them 4.2 billion dollars in music sales yearly. I can't imagine how they come to this figure... music sales are up but they think they're losing money? I don't think it is logical to assume that everyone who has downloaded a song from the internet would have bought the CD instead had the internet not had the song availible. I'll tell ya this, I'm not paying 22$ for a damned CD with eleven songs on it when I only like three! They also claim that the artists lose money due to piracy, when as it turns out, almost none of the money from an album's sales actually makes it into a band's coffers. Much of it is spent on the actual recording studio time, and then most of the remaining profit is that of the record label.
That seems like a load of crap if you ask me. A band generaly makes more money from their live shows than they do from their albums... kinda as if the album itself is just their advertising rather than the actual product. Sorry guys, I don't go to many concerts, so I guess I just really love to jam out to your advertisements!
I must point out that since I bought my first CD in 1997, the price just localy has increased from 15$ each to around 22$ each. Thats a jump of about 40%! Why? The cost of an actual compact disc has gone down, not up. Have recording costs increased? I somehow doubt that because the quality of the sound hasn't improved that much in my opinion (but then maybe I just don't have the equipment I'd need to tell the difference). Is this just because of the RIAAs "percieved losses" due to piracy. I bet it is... and you know what I think? I think they're so full of shit if they open their mouths you smell their ass. It stinks to high heaven, and it is just utterly rediculous. I don't see any realisticly accurate way to know how many more albums they would have sold if it weren't for the internet.
And honestly, I figure the online music situation probably helps the bands more than hurts them. If I ever start up a band, I'd rather create my own CDs, sell tracks online, and take care of my own advertising than have some monster record label eat up all my hard work and then not even let me hold the copyright to it! Heck, all the fines they're collecting from the lawsuits, who gets the money? The record labels do.
Anyway, this is why I handle music the way I do now. I buy very few CDs... I'll do so when I can't find any other legal alternative. Notice I mentioned legal. I do download music, however I pay a minor fee for doing so. I purchase music generaly from overseas english language sites that charge by the track or per megabyte downloaded. My interpretation of the law is that (1) I am allowed to download as long as I pay, and (2) I must not share it with anyone online for them to get for free. No problem. Then I just burn my stuff to CD and enjoy it on my computer, in my car, at work, whatever. I have no problem with the record labels making some money, that is capitalism... but they way they do it now is downright extortion and should never have been permited to go so far.
Refference: <br>http://www.riaa.com/issues/piracy/default.asp
www.metal-rules.com/hell/hell_August2000.htm
www.theinquirer.net/?article=11662
www.downhillbattle.org/reasons/
Damn the RIAA
Written by David M. Hickerson
Originally posted at tripwire.hickersonfamily.net/2004_0422.html
I think I've heald my tongue long enough on the subject of the Recording Industry Association of America, and I think I need to finaly vent some of my thoughts. It seems that the RIAA intends to sue everyone that shares music files from their PCs on pier to pier networks. Okay, I understand why that isn't quite legal, and I respect that thus I do no file sharing of that sort. However, the RIAA has also done an incredibly good job of making it dificult to make entirely legal copies of music for our personal enjoyment (such as copies of our CDs for our car so that in the event that it gets broken into and they are stolen we don't lose our master CDs).
This is probably my main complaint about the RIAA... the they have found a way to infringe on our fair use rights of music we have purchased copies of at the stores. Although it is perfectly legal for us to make copies for our own use, it is also perfectly legal for them to put copy protection on the dics that make it impossble for us to do so without violating laws that prohibit circumventing copy protection! Geeze, what a load of bullshit!
On top of that, the RIAA has the audacity to claim music piracy has cost them 4.2 billion dollars in music sales yearly. I can't imagine how they come to this figure... music sales are up but they think they're losing money? I don't think it is logical to assume that everyone who has downloaded a song from the internet would have bought the CD instead had the internet not had the song availible. I'll tell ya this, I'm not paying 22$ for a damned CD with eleven songs on it when I only like three! They also claim that the artists lose money due to piracy, when as it turns out, almost none of the money from an album's sales actually makes it into a band's coffers. Much of it is spent on the actual recording studio time, and then most of the remaining profit is that of the record label.
That seems like a load of crap if you ask me. A band generaly makes more money from their live shows than they do from their albums... kinda as if the album itself is just their advertising rather than the actual product. Sorry guys, I don't go to many concerts, so I guess I just really love to jam out to your advertisements!
I must point out that since I bought my first CD in 1997, the price just localy has increased from 15$ each to around 22$ each. Thats a jump of about 40%! Why? The cost of an actual compact disc has gone down, not up. Have recording costs increased? I somehow doubt that because the quality of the sound hasn't improved that much in my opinion (but then maybe I just don't have the equipment I'd need to tell the difference). Is this just because of the RIAAs "percieved losses" due to piracy. I bet it is... and you know what I think? I think they're so full of shit if they open their mouths you smell their ass. It stinks to high heaven, and it is just utterly rediculous. I don't see any realisticly accurate way to know how many more albums they would have sold if it weren't for the internet.
And honestly, I figure the online music situation probably helps the bands more than hurts them. If I ever start up a band, I'd rather create my own CDs, sell tracks online, and take care of my own advertising than have some monster record label eat up all my hard work and then not even let me hold the copyright to it! Heck, all the fines they're collecting from the lawsuits, who gets the money? The record labels do.
Anyway, this is why I handle music the way I do now. I buy very few CDs... I'll do so when I can't find any other legal alternative. Notice I mentioned legal. I do download music, however I pay a minor fee for doing so. I purchase music generaly from overseas english language sites that charge by the track or per megabyte downloaded. My interpretation of the law is that (1) I am allowed to download as long as I pay, and (2) I must not share it with anyone online for them to get for free. No problem. Then I just burn my stuff to CD and enjoy it on my computer, in my car, at work, whatever. I have no problem with the record labels making some money, that is capitalism... but they way they do it now is downright extortion and should never have been permited to go so far.
Refference: <br>http://www.riaa.com/issues/piracy/default.asp
www.metal-rules.com/hell/hell_August2000.htm
www.theinquirer.net/?article=11662
www.downhillbattle.org/reasons/
