music_news 91 posts

RIAA appears to be little less than a modern version of the Spanish Inquisition. Further, it's only a small portion of artist revenue they defend; how are RIAA actions reasonable?

I'm hoping the RIAA eventually just crashes in on itself. I've had it with their practices. Down with the RIAA.

HA!! Whether they realize it or not the RIAA is actually making the case for mixtape producers. Sure you arrest several no name citizens, and you probably won't get much fuss. But, when you go after the artist themselves you actually alienate your customer who idolizes the artist.

20 years from now the masses will feel as we do, and the RIAA will look like Gestapo.

The RIAA is a luddite relic of the past, unwilling to acknowledge the digital present, much less the future. They are lashing out blindly, suing their customers and music artists, alienating the public as it goes. Who the hell is in charge there?

The American law-enforcement authorities have been running wild under the direction of the Bush administration. Just two months ago they arrested almost eleven-thousand fugitivesin one day, may of them wanted for really minor offenses. While a naive public may support such actions, it will eventually discover that it is the public-at-large that has the most to fear from a state gone wild.

Give RIAA the finger and give away to your friends and family as many songs as you like. since you guy them, you can do whatever yoiu like with them! If I buy a car, should I ask the car maker if I want to lend my car to my friend or remove the engine? Its my f****n car !
So tell RIAA to F-O cause they only want to suck money out of the global economy for the big boys.

SELLING copyrighted material is a crime. Sharing is not a crime.

Anyone SELLING mixtapes SHOULD BE ARRESTED. That's why we have LAWS.

Why would anyone defend copyright violation???

>If I buy a car, should I ask the car maker
>if I want to lend my car to my friend

Yes, but if you lend the car to your friend and then go back to the dealer expecting to be able to drive another "copy" of the car off the lot while your friend is using yours, you're going to have a problem.

Give or lend your friends and family all the music you like. Just don't expect to keep and use your own copy while they're using it, too.

Courtesy of David Pogue, technology writer for the NY Times:

"Here's my very latest. It's a special tribute to the R.I.A.A., the Recording Industry Association of America - the organization of the record companies who've decided to fight music piracy by filing lawsuits. It goes to the tune of the Village People song "Y.M.C.A." Ready? Cue the disco drums!

"R.I.A.A."

Young man,
You were surfing along,
And then, young man,
You downloaded a song,
And then, dumb man,
Copied it to your 'Pod,
Then a phone call came to tell you:

You've just been sued by the R.I.A.A.!
You've just been sued by the R.I.A.A.!
Their attorneys say, you committed a crime,
And there'd better not be a next time!

They've lost their minds at the R.I.A.A.!
Justice is blind at the R.I.A.A....
"You're depriving the bands! You are learning to steal,
You can't do whatever you feel!"

Know what?
They're a lawsuit machine.
They say so what
If you're only thirteen?
And you know what?
They were equally mean
To an 80-year-old grandma!

CD
Sales have dropped every year,
They're not greedy-
They're just quaking with fear,
Yes, indeedy-
What if their end is near,
And we download all our music?

They'd all freak out at the R.I.A.A.-
No plastic discs from the R.I.A.A.!
What a way to make friends! It's a plan that can't fail:
Haul your customers off to jail!

And who'll be next for the R.I.A.A.?
What else is vexing the R.I.A.A.?
Maybe whistling a tune? Maybe humming along?
Maybe mocking them in a song-!

(The sound of jackboots bursting into the room...handcuffs...muffled cries...a columnist being dragged away... repeat and fade.)"

Interesting article about the RIAA's recent moves, including suing allofmp3. Check it out here. HERE

> Further, it's only a small portion of artist revenue they defend;

Ahh, but they are also defending 100% of their own greedy revenue.

--Don't Blame Us--

I am confident that you are all well aware of the opinions that are being propogated through the media by the MINORITY of individuals and their enormous financial bounties. Those few in NUMBER that have theorized in this time of concern for terrorism on the homefront and military efforts in both Iraq and Africa as well as maintaining a watchful eye on Iran and North Korea, AMERICANS will not realize that they are being wrongly accused of criminal behavior. The idea that an ostentatious display of influence and a formidable approach could be all it takes to convince those seated at the bench of the highest judicial court to rule that WE the MAJORITY, the PEOPLE of the UNITED STATES are to be scapegoats for the shortcomings that those in the R.I.A.A. are now facing. Shortcomings, I might add, that are due to technological advancments that ultimately are a direct result of decisions made by the R.I.A.A.

This plan of attack against the innocent PEOPLE of this nation by those who have obtained their wealth from the same PEOPLE that they are sueing is not only misleading with accusations but purely conjecture.
I would like to ask my audience to please consider however, the business savvy of these individuals who make up this MINORITY called the Recording Industry Association of America. We should all know by now that this conglomerate consists of the top five companies which are as follows: Universal Music, Sony Music, Warner Music, EMI Music and BMG Music.
All the way back to 1977 we know that SONY, one of the 5 instigators and probably the right arm of this endeavor, was deeply involved with the development and production of the first audio disc prototypes. As a matter of fact, they showed their new device at the Tokyo Audio Fair in that same year. Additionally, later that same year and into 1978 SONY teams up with Phillips and demonstrates the first prototype of a digital sound system using a laser disc. Seeing the potential of this new technology and believe you me they saw it crystal clear, major companies held the 'Digital Audio Disc Convention' in Tokyo where 35 manufactures met. Details were debated, discussed, agreed upon and CD Standards were set. This is obviously the meeting that set the future in motion with CD Technology. One year later in 1979 SONY and Phillips join forces to create a World-wide standard for the CD. These united forces create in 1980 the 74 minute playing time and set the diameter of the disc to 12cm. The giant money maker is finally introduced to the public by SONY and Phillips in the fall of 1982 in Europe and Japan and the industry has followed the close scrutiny set by the monster companies.
As we all can easily imagine this small 2 year period from 80 to 82 was the time that major research and development was being done to completely and fully set the timeline of events which was the guide for future introductions to the consumer in a step by step advancement of technology. This would maximize the manufacture and sales time incrimented to distribute to as many people as possible an item that was in all accounts obsolete at the time it was being purchased.
In the spring of 1983 Cd technology hits the states. The Compact Disk Group is formed to help boost marketing of the CD-ROM prototypes. (30,000 players are sold and 800,000 CD's are sold in the States.) Soon Car CD Players are set into motion and the first Mass Replication Plant is built. The next incrimental step is the portable SONY Discman in late 1984. 1985 brings the introduction of CD-ROM drives for computers. Then in mid 1986 we are exposed to the new concept of interactive CD's or CD-I. This produces a purchase of over 3 million players and over 53 million CD's in that year alone. Well, can you quess what comes out next and yes in the following year? We are pulling the money out of our pockets now for the Video CD format which was so convenientlly just created. While we are busy ewwing and ahhing over these interesting little frisbees and the metal boxes they get ingested into, a man named Allen Adkins demonstrates a desktop system for pre-mastering of CD's and has one replicated 24 hours later in Amsterdam Germany. Recordable Discs and technology dominates 1988 and 1989 and this mass marketing strategy has now caused over 28% of every houshold in the UNITED STATES to have CD technology. 9.5 million players and 288 million CD's are being sold every year now. This brings a 1991 world sale amount to $1 billion. Also in 1991 we see the introduction to the first CD-R pre-mastering software and CD-R sales hit 200,000 by the end of 92. Things tapers-off and people sense something big is coming and in 1996 it arrives...DVD is introduced. CD-Recorders and CD-R media come down in price significantly which causes major demand and soon we have a world wide CD-R media shortage. Can you believe this game they played? As I will explian shortly, they are still trying to play us into their trap. If they are successful it will be the greatest buisness plan ever executed in the history of the world.
In 1997 DVD is released to the technology addicts as too DVD players, movies and 3.9 gig DVD-R. The first CD-R producing plant is put in the States and CD-R shortage suddenly ends and CD-R's plummit in price. With 1998 DVD-RAM and DVD Recordable systems hit. DVD-Video/ROM authoring tools come on the scene. CD-R prices fall even more. In 1999 DVD-Vid becomes common place and the consumers frenzy for DVD players and movies. This soon brings in the second generation DVD Burners and the 4.7 gig DVD-R is developed.
I'm in hopes that this is enough to almost make your head spin and certainly after hearing all the facts and seeing the data all in a row you will certainly have to agree that since we didn't even start discussing the recording industries file sharing arguments for legal action to be takin against the PEOPLE of the UNITED STATES you can easily conclude that these companies are wanting to gain a judgement against the PEOPLE that made them who they are today. You must recognize now that the PEOPLE of AMERICA were takin for a ride by being awestruck by the advancement of technology. Additionally, all we ever did was exactly what the companies asked us to do. We bought their products and kept buying their products. It is however the R.I.A.A.'s own fault for giving us these products which they already knew would lead to where we are today with the file sharing issues. The R.I.A.A. has not only known that this was going to happen but they made it happen and they are now trying to cash in on the biggest "SCREW YOU" ever to go down in history. It was the products that we bought from SONY and the technology that was crated by SONY that enabled us to be able to achieve the levels of file sharing that we see today. How then, might I ask, does the recording industry conclude, that we, having done exactly what they wanted us to do, can now turn the tables on us and say it is OUR fault and that we are criminals and we must pay restitution? The R.I.A.A. saw where things were heading way back in 1980 or even as far back as 1977. It simply shows that for us, the MAJORITY, to listen to these multi-billion dollar companies making the claims that they are getting the short end of the stick and that we are stealing from them is ludicrous. Especially when you see a 10 year old child spending $20.00 for a CD. And this is what costs SONY or BMG $6.00 to make, market and advertise. (Including artwork and jewell cases.) Additionally, the quality of content is so poor that expectations today are to receive two maybe three songs that are worth listening to out of the 10 or 12 that simply perform as filler of space between the three good songs.
We are all American's and we own this nation. It is the MAJORITY that rules this great land of ours. For us to allow some little group of CEO gluttons that try to push us around would be the downfall of us as a nation. We must stand up and push back because you must admit we have been pushed around by these people long enough. Those companies will not fail financially now or in the future. They are multi billion dollar comanies! I can gaurantee they sure don't need my money more then I need my money and to try to sue me for using the stuff that they basically taught me how to use and marketed to me, well that absolutely makes no sence at all.
It scares me that these crooks can march around belting out their opinions of an issue, which is exactly what they are doing, Trying to make their opinions seem righteous and grandiose. Well, everyone has an opinion, but these charlatans are putting journalists, magazine columnists and news anchors on a payroll so they can get their opinions heard to the point of even convincing some of the people that they are intending to sue to see things their way. Remember, that just because something is written in the New York Times or People magazine does not make it any different then what I am doing here myself. I am stating my opinion of how I feel about the R.I.A.A. trying to force their opinion to a Supreme Court ruling. We are not stealing anything when using peer to peer file share networking.
Let me offer this scenerio: the R.I.A.A. wins the judgement and a bunch of teenage kids don't get to go to college because instead of an education they had to give their money to a billionaire. Let's say, although completely unlikely in even scenario, no one can use peer to peer anymore and it is shut down completely. What happens in other countries? The Supreme court goes to the beaches and after that people in Europe are giving the R.I.A.A. the finger! Mexico! Gives 'em the finger! Those teens that don't get college merely decide now to record a radio station through their computer and then they convert that song or songs from the radio to a CD. That airwave is public and free to the public as stated by the Supreme Court. So the person who recorded that radio station playing Van Halen's "Hear About It Later" is now the rightful owner of that song that they put onto a CD. Now they go and share that song on the internet with no monetary transaction changing hands. So they aren't selling the music and since it came from a public airwaves then this is a very plausible situation to make the R.I.A.A. try to do what now, shut down all the radio stations?!! Or maybe they will try to force their opinions on the judges again and make the court's change the laws of public radio waves!
So when and if it ever comes to the day that our MAJORITY elected judicial figurehead decide to 'stare their gifthorse in the mouth,' as our defense we simply say, as we represent ourselves, the PEOPLE recorded that song from a radio frequency, through a computer, sold to US by Sony and those others that represent the R.I.A.A. .
For the Supreme Court to rule against the PEOPLE and the MAJORITY would be telling us that the MINORITY opinion is more powerful then the MAJORITY opinion and that a select few can overpower the many. We ALL know that such a ruling would negate all that this nation was founded on and fought for so many years ago. It has now come time that we as a UNITED PEOPLE, must force the MAJORITY RULE in our courts and across OUR land. This is what makes the UNITED STATES free. RULE, not by some select few based on greed and self-centered ideaology but on the philosophy that the power is in the UNION of the PEOPLE. MAJORITY RULE is made by the PEOPLE as too, MAJORITY RULE is achieved through the PEOPLE and MAJORITY RULE is and always will be for the PEOPLE. It was started that way in this nation and we ARE the PEOPLE that have to continue it... RIGHT NOW!! The UNION of the PEOPLE is unstoppable and I'll be damned if I'm going to allow someone to take my hard earned wages twice. Shame on those people that were so easily convinced to agree with the opinion of the R.I.A.A.. You give up your strength and your power to the mere guise of influential penmanship and articles of conjecture. So readily handing over your mental-self while being soothed and luered by the melodious rationale of encryptuous nature played from the flute of a fanged, forked-tounged, gluttonous Satyr.

POWER IN THE PEOPLE!!!!

by
--Matthew Mackey--
aka
Thcranky1

mongo, that's great! But, be careful-- do you have permission to use that melody?

Everyone pirate music, fuck the RIAA. Hit them where it hurts - in their wallet. Fuck the artists who sign up to records deals with RIAA affiliated labels. Fuck them all. Pay only independent artists. RIAA DONT PAY!

RIAA is out of control when they arrest someone that ultimately endorses and promotes their product.

I have heard people whine like little girls that "Oh my God, the RIAA is taking away your rights! They're arresting people for no reason!" bull crap. I going to say this and it will shock people: Taking something that you didn't pay for is STEALING!One of you din't pay for the song, so that means one of you doesn't legally own it. If you give a friend a song but keep it it is also STEALING! Selling something that you don't have the rights to is essentially taking someone else's money!

Also, the artist pay, themselves, to promote their music that you downloaded without paying; and you and your friends who download things illegally probably never pay for the music anyway, so why would the artist care whether you promote music to your pirating firends?! They wouldn't by it anyway once they have it for free!

Hope that enlightens some of you petty thieves!

well isnt it a heated discussion as ever LOL. considering that the riaa is a bunch of leeches without a product (which you pay any time you buy music - make no mistake, its part of the never sinking cd prices), it is amazing how much influence they have. i am around for some decades now as a musician, dj and last but not least a collector. it was never an issue in my young days that you shared music with friends (guess that started with the introduction of the nearly forgotten audio tapes (jeez - sometimes i miss my old revox) and later on cassettes (8 track rings a bell???). no mysterious riaa around to sue my butt or my friends. it was kinda normal to tape stuff of the radio (if youre european and a bit older john peel will ring a liberty bell for you ;)). vinyl had no copy protection and got distributed between friends without anybody having an issue with it. so where cd's. and along came the (by major labels missed) digital revolution. we traded, had fun and actually still bought music. it was a great media to get stuff to check it out and often enough (speaking at least of myself) buy it afterwards (jeez if you have $20k speakers and the rest of audio equipment to go along with it you dont wanna bust your ears listening to 128k mp3's).
but the music industry got worse - or particularly the music they throw on the market (increasing flops due to - in my opinion morons at the decision making level) and you pay for the bad decisions. resulting in ever decreasing sales (my tip get execs that now something about music and dont sign any half witted idiot for outragous sums). send your bands on tour to create money (well ok, its hard if you have some pseudo, plastic studio created product that wouldnt fill a mc donalds if the burgers are free).

another problem i have personally (wonder if i am alone there), i have about 13k albums (vinyl) and about 6k cd's. the vinyl is just fine and the stuff goes back to the 1930's but many of the cd's start to (in need for a better word) disintegrate!!!!! after 20yrs. you know - the silver layer shows suddenly holes at spots and it doesnt play anymore as a result. well i contacted (not that i expected anything in return) labels about it - requesting a free replacement (kinda product liability - jeez the sh*t isnt cheap, actually more expensive than many vinyls i bought in my life - which is still just fine). you guessed it - i still have to get one answer today!
i wonder if others have the same problem with cd's - it would be a great starter for a class action lawsuit against the music industry. just imagine millions of ppl with billions of cd's get refunds - i think we wouldnt talk about some jack - a** riaa probs anymore because they would be bankrupt and their managers part of the social wellfare system ROFLMAO!!!!!

well that was my comment for now ;)