Are you one of the people still sharing your music over peer to peer networks like Limewire? In the 'Threat Level' blog for Jan 22, David Kravits tell us about Jammi Thomas-Riset, who was fined 1.92 million for sharing 24 songs. That's $80,000 a song! Jammi's lawyer asked that the price be reduced. The judge agreed, and reduced it to the minimum allowed, $750 per song x 3. The judge called the original amount "shocking."
The RIAA is a fear-mongering bully, and they need to be forcd to disband and allow artists to do their thing. The premise that internet sharing reduces CD sales is hogwash, and 70's folk singer Janis Ian makes a good case for the opposite here, and Eric Flint of the Baen Free Library makes a similar case here and amplifies on it here. Ian's article is also published in "Prime Palaver" on the Baen Free Library website. Both people can demonstrate that offering things free (including having your music pirated) leads to more - not less - sales.
It's inevitable the entrenched businesses with "strategies that work" will react violently to any new model that makes their way of doing business obsolete. But it's getting old. The iTunes music store has demonstrated quite well that legal online sales are not only feasable, but can be highly lucrative. But they still want to alienate their users by suing them. I'll never understand the corporate mind.
Using this sort of "reasoning", I should set up an oil lamp factory, then sue GE and anyone else who makes and sells electric light bulbs.
ReplyDeleteExactly. It's not reasoning, it's gut reaction to inevitable change.
ReplyDeleteThe last line of defense for industry to "protect their interests" is litigation. That's been happening for the past for the past 5-10 years. The end for the strangle-hold the music industry has on music income is here! Now, artists will have to earn their money like everyone else -- they will have to work for it....
ReplyDeleteOutside of the few mega-successes, most bands never made big money. Remember 2-Pac? He either died owing the label money (according to them) or owed money by the label (according to his mom). He was successful enough that there shouldn't have been any question about how wealthy he was.
ReplyDeleteAnd if you've ever watched a band prepare for a tour, you'd know they work their a**es off.