Pay to Play II
Just one day after this sometime file swapper said he’d gladly pay a buck a song, the RIAA goes and does this:
The record industry opened a new front in its war against online piracy on Tuesday by surprising hundreds of thousands of Internet song swappers with an instant message warning that they could be “easily” identified and face “legal penalties” for their actions.
About 200,000 users of the Grokster and Kazaa file-sharing services received the warning notice on Tuesday and millions more will get notices in coming weeks, said Cary Sherman, president of the Recording Industry Association of America, the trade group for the music companies.
The message said in part: “It appears that you are offering copyrighted music to others from your computer. …When you break the law, you risk legal penalties. There is a simple way to avoid that risk: DON’T STEAL MUSIC either by offering it to others to copy or downloading it on a ‘file-sharing’ system like this. When you offer music on these systems, you are not anonymous and you can easily be identified.”
So I logged on to WinMX and downloaded a couple of pirate cuts off the new Madonna album I was planning on buying.
Screw’em all.
Is it possible that the historical (and collapsing) link between recorded music and physical media has artificially increased the price of this stuff? If so, it’s only been going on for a couple generations, since Edison’s cylinders. We shouldn’t imagine this transfer of wealth is the 11th commandment.
Can’t we argue that recordings are now being priced more accurately? Perhaps rock stars weren’t meant to be rich (but for appearance fees). Teens will always sing cute songs, and talented people will always make good music. What exactly are we trying to reward here? Isn’t it possible that an end to the star system of recent decades might actually encourage musical invention and pleasure?
We badly need to avoid scenarios wherein Congress (aided by record companies, ISPs, statitistical functionaries, and maybe a regulating agency or two) gets to put the price on my enjoyment of Spears ditties and Bach cantatas.
In my middle forties, file sharing has allowed me to imagine that the record company weasels have had the coke spoons brutally plucked from their graying chest hairs. Bright people need to come up with new arrangements for the valuation of music. I don’t trust anyone who’s been involved in the process lately. For all his faults, Jobs is on the right track here.
“and downloaded a couple of pirate cuts off the new Madonna album I was planning on buying.” you were kidding right? Please? Good food, good alcohol, and Steely Dan. Never, ever Madonna.
Madonna and Morfard in the same day. Are you on drugs?