ANoel

While I can't confess having clean hands when it comes to owning all of my music (although I actually do buy CDs if I like them), piracy never ends well for the artist.

I keep hearing people say that most artists earn their money from shows, but those are artists whose names you know. This is coming from someone who has gotten shows booked: there is an incredibly small amount of money in it. If you're a no name, you have to hope that your friends will spread the word for you, or that you can somehow hop onto the coattails of a bigger band, or whatever method seems necessary because there are not a lot of people who pay $5 to hear someone they've never heard of. Of course, there is the option of playing for free, but most places require you to pay them to use their facilities and you have to hope to make money back. Either that, or you have to be able to guarantee "x" amount of people will show up beforehand, which throws one into a catch-22.

While some record labels are a crock, they are incredibly necessary so artists don't have to deal with the crap when it comes to marketing, distributing, etc. and instead can focus on music.

Also, to whoever said that it costs 30 cents per CD, yes, that's half true, however the record label pays for it up front in a lot of cases, and in that same regard justifies its taking money. Just looking at a quote I got for making 2000 CDs, assuming I already made the artwork myself and it was in a paper CD wallet, it would cost $2800. Thats about $1.40 per CD, plus the fact that I would have to pay for them up front. Now, factor in studio costs, plus the countless hours of effort put into the CD and the instability of album sales and now a $10 price tag seems a bit more justified.

So amidst all of these pirates vs. RIAA stories, the people both are claiming to protect are getting screwed over in the end: The artists.

The-Vagrance

-Core-

At tax time, if you have your receipts and run a buisness that requires CD's (like I do) you can get that money back.

There's also a potential law in the works that would see an additional fee placed on MP3 players. The amount of the fee depends on the storage size of the device but it can get upwards of $75.

I might have missed it, but to date I've not heard of the RIAA going after Canadians. I suppose the reason being is that we've already paid the "fine" ahead of time.

@SBM_FROM_LA. that's not completely true. Most, if not all, BitTorrent clients have a setting for upload limit. You can set that to 0 and the client won't upload.

diverguy

WeldInspector

There, that justifies downloading every MP3 ever made.

TVGenius

How about downloading all this music and using it on say, a radio show or something? I mean, I'd be education people on different music by making them aware that there's stuff out there other than Fall Out Boy, Soulja Boy, and Rhianna.

GOKOR

@MickeyMoo: Stop with the PC crap.

photophile

Ryanraven

Aren't we lucky that we have such a perfectly antagonistic enemy in the major labels? If that weren't the case, we'd have to admit to ourselves that we commit all these crimes out of boredom, greed and sloth.

Hvedhrungr

BY ROB C AT 02/02/08 11:14 PM

isn't it still legal in canada?? don't remember, I think it is. But uploading is illegal? someone check that out.

SBM_from_LA

Trent Reznor, who is the opposite of an evil record company did an experiment and found that most people downloaded for free rather than supported the artist.

If you're going to pirate, don't be a hypocrite about it! Say the truth "I am a cheap bastard and pirate music because I can" if that's what you are.

And then imagine what would happen to the computer industry if customers had the option of downloading computers rather than paying for them.

I'm not defending antiquated and horrible practices in the record industry. But if you take away the incentive to profit from your work, whether you make music or computers or whatever, innovation and production would grind to a suck.

frigg

Pixlmonkey

Actually, with the world going digital, the music should be free. Digital media is an unlimited resources. They should allow the music to be free, but use the music as a means of selling a scarce good.

It's kinda like going to the movies, you're not actually paying to see the movie. You're paying for the movie theater experience.

One indie label that I frequently buy music from allows you to receive the album 2 weeks in advance if you pre-order the CD. That's enough to earn my money. I've seen albums come with a 'limited edition' liner notes (lyrics to all the song, pics from some tour, a chance to win something). That's what the music industry should be doing right now...trying to make it worth buying the CD, rather than downloading it.

TriZz

[www.ifpi.org]

Mark Wilson

The amendment takes this article to the net and actually aims to close an apparent loophole. Until now, everyone caught downloading could claim it was for "critique and discussion". The amended article provides the government with a legal basis to define what "educational and scientific purposes" are.

dysfunctional

@stronzo: well beppe grillo is right many times, but he also says a lot of bullshits, here in italy every politician is someone that doesnt rly care of his country, they just wanna get richer at every cost, there isnt one man to blame, they are all the same with no distinction, our country is a rly nice place, we could improve much more, but our govern class is such a shame that we keep standing behind the best states in europe, we could rly use a help by the C.E. but i cant imagine what kind of. anyway those common images like padrino,pizza,spaghetti associated to italy are just easy hilarious situation, im used to them, and every country has those kinds of things. getting irritated by them isnt useful, just make a laugh !

breath

ProSeven

残心

ProSeven

That said, I get really uncomfortable with an entire country giving its people a pass to steal the intellectual property originating from other countries either implicitly (China) or, apparently now explicitly. If Italy wants to allow its people to have at it with Italian IP, that's their business. But they have treaty obligations to protect the product of other countries just as those other countries ostensibly work to protect theirs. I don't like the precedent it sets.

And this just isn't the kind of win I want. I want music labels forced by consumers to change, but I don't want them to have all the protections of law that are rightfully theirs stripped away. It leaves a bitter taste in my mouth.

HonusWScruggs

@tehethan: Italy's a great place to travel, but I wouldn't want to live there right now unless I had a great job set up. I'm tempted to just blame Berlusconi, but apparently there are a few other factors as well.

In response to the article itself, all i can say is FORZA AZZURRA!!!

stronzo

uptonogood

And yes, I'm also against the use of the usual stereotype of mafiosi for the Italian people.

2dvisio

Ruzzel26

oo0EveryoneElseWasDoingIt0oo

[news.bbc.co.uk]

The Godfather pic is racial slur - and an inaccurate representation of Italian Italians - maybe save it for an article on corruption in New Jersey.

MickeyMoo

zixpk.com

Mike918

Kaiser-Machead's Chips Ahoy!

"I hate a song that makes you think you're not any good. I hat a song that makes you think you are just born to lose. Bound to lose. No good to nobody. No good for nothing. Because you are either too old or too young or too fat or too slim or too ugly or too this or too that....Songs that run you down or songs that poke fun of you on account of your bad luck or your hard traveling.

I am out to fight those kinds of songs to my very last breath of air and my last drop of blood."

WeldInspector

cristian77

i4ni

jkr

92BuickLeSabre

Ethan Allison

Rob C

crazykid

now there is government action the US should follow!

=P

no, bad ron paul supporter, bad!

xacked