Star Date 454366.3

FOR SUCH IS THE WILL OF LANDRU
Those of you who watch the old Star Trek re-runs may recall an episode where Captain Kirk, Spock, and others, get trapped on a planet run by a mysterious figure called Landru. The crew gets there when the population is running amok. People are destroying property, women are raped, and there is general chaos in the streets. This is the time of "festival". It is a rare occasion when people "let their hair down" in the extreme. All the other time, they walk around like soulless zombies, with a vapid smile, and wishing each other peace and harmony. The society has lost its spark...there is no technological innovation, and in fact, it is a stagnant dying culture. There are rebels there, and they have formed a network...but they fear "Landru", a shadowy figure who seems to hear and know, everything that is going on. His wishes are carried out by tall, hooded and robed monk looking figures, carrying energy emitting staffs.
The monks had a machine that could take a rebellious person, and turn them into a meek, follower of Landru.


To make a long story short, they meet "Landru", a projected image, who really is just a facade, an interface for a computer program that is running the society. In the end, the computer gets destroyed, the people lose their "peace and harmony", but it is the start of real growth and creativity.

OK...cut to the present, Earth. I've heard comments about the RIAA being a "lightning rod" for the big labels, and that we should direct our angst and anger at the labels.

I find some interesting parallels with the Star Trek show. Like Landru, the labels, through the RIAA, want people to thnk they are kind of omniscient...i.e. tracking their file transfers, knowing what copyrighted files are on their drives, being able to track down their real name from an IP address, and on and on, ad nauseum.

The hooded monks (which turn out to be real people) are controlled by Landru, and the hooded monks, and the projected, holographic image, are like the RIAA. As with Landru,
the labels and RIAA would have us to be soulless, mindless consuming clones. They seek to stifle technological change,much in the way Landru worked to keep the planet in a simple, agrarian economy.

While I do agree the labels are the "real enemy", the RIAA is doing the "Will of Landru" if you will. They are the physical embodiment, the tool for what the labels are directing and endorsing. The RIAA is the virtual presence of the big labels.

Our reactions and efforts against the RIAA, are in effect, reactions to the big labels, and as the unpopularity of the actions of the RIAA increases, the big labels can interpret this in two ways.

If they believe the majority of people are copyright infringers and need to be prosecuted, or sued, then the anger of the public could be interpreted as evidence that their tactics are on target. But, if they quit sitting on their brains such that their cognitive processes come out of "numb mode", and start thinking about the business model they are promoting...the "sue your customer" model, and realize that ill will translates into losing customers and that translates into decreased sales (less money), then they would realize the RIAA is one of their greatest enemies and liabilities.

FOR SUCH IS THE GIFT OF LANDRU
The labels have obviously been sold a bill of goods. Someone convinced them that if 12 year old little Sally Sue could not download 50 Cent ("fiddy cent") or some other loser's song, little Sally Sue would go to the record shop (or iTunes or one of the other nauseating 99 cent download shops) and purchase the song. It's the same idiotic belief that the BSA has about software...i.e. that each free download is a lost sale.

I liken it to the grocery stores giving out free samples of cheese or sausage (or the similar free sample tables at Sam's Club). People get the free sample. They either really like it, have the money, and buy more...or say, Gosh, that tasted like crap...
I'm glad I never bought that mess....or, say, Hmmm...that was good, but I'm not buying it now, maybe in the future I will, and they keep it in mind for later.

A song on P2P is promotional, and all the protestations of the RIAA are just whine...(maybe they need some of that free promotional cheese to go with their "whine" :) ).
If you d/l it, and like it, you might buy the CD now or later. The only downside for the labels really, is that, since they are putting out such a crappy product, you might get a taste and say "Man, that sounds like crap...glad I didn't buy it).
And maybe, that's a big fear for them.

DESTROYING LANDRU
Look, the big 5 like Sony, Time Warner, et al, are diversified corporations. They are into more than producing / selling/ marketing music. And, just a few people writing them and whining about the RIAA is not going to make a dent. You know that and so do I. If they got enough letters saying that people were boycotting all Sony, TW, etc. productions and products, and if their profits took a nose dive, then they may want to listen.

The points from the Star Trek show is this.

Number one...Landru (Labels/RIAA) is not all knowing and all powerful. Both the RIAA and the big 5 have weaknesses and vulnerabilities and can fall.

Number two, like the monks in the Star Trek show, the big labels want to turn you rebellious filesharers into meek, complacent, followers of their acts and stable of pets (musicians). The "legal online download sites" are one of their methods of brainwashing you,...i.e. getting you as a rebel, to submit to the will of Landru.
Don't make these "legal sites" (which are just feeder arteries for the cancerous
RIAA/big label tumor) successful. Let their "legal" busness model fail.

Number three....continue the fight long term. In the episode, these people had been victimized by the computer program called Landru, for centuries. It was created by the real Landru, who gave the machine his intellect, but none of his soul, none of his creativity, none of his vitality.

This is like the music industry now. They believe that the public can be manipulated by "formula songs", they rely on places like BigChampagne.com to tell them what "the kids these days" want...and crank out plastic imitations of that.

The music industry has never been a bastion of ethics, caring, or kindness, but as with so many big corporation run businesses, it has gotten worse and worse.

The problem, as I see it, is that Landru must go...the plug must be pulled.

The biggest threats to the RIAA/big labels are the big 5 things....
1) Massive boycotts that go on and on with ever increasing drops in profit
2) Popularity of independent music and musicians, that they do not control.
3) That they start losing a lot of court cases
4) That the online "legal" downloading sites fail and go out of business.
5) That people get so fed up, the start REALLY pressuring Congress to make
fundamental legislative changes, allowing consumer digital rights, that
mirror the Audio Home Recording Act of 1992, that the limitation of first
sale starts applying to digital media, and that DRM fails miserably in the
public arena.

We don't need a soulless, vapid, zombie like, controlled consumer society,
with a lack of technological spark resulting from intimidation, threats,
and continued violations of privacy.

We're Americans Damn It :)

"Spock Out"
~CodeWarrior

PS..for those who have seen this episode..as you may guess....
I am not "Of the Body" and not "One with Landru" , as the followers said...

~CW

I have watched a lot of the old Star Trek shows, and I must admit that I don't remember the 'Landru' episode very well (I do remember watching it, though. As I recall, Dr. McCoy was one of those who's mind was altered by the machine to turn him into a follower of Landru).

Did the Enterprise succeed in destroying Landru from space?

Perhaps that is how, indirectly, the 'Landru' here on Earth will perish (or at least be forced to chance). Recently, I read a very good article about the growing popularity of satellite radio. Those with tuners can subscribe for $10 a month and have access to over 100 stations. That's a lot of choice, and there surely must be a way for more indies to get on the air as more folks tune in to satellite radio.

If satellite radio takes off, then the 'legal payola' will become less important. Consumers will have more choices on what music to listen to, and there should be more opportunities for artists to get their music heard without having to surrender their copyrights.

But broadcast radio has been trying to stop or at least curtail satellite radio, and will continue to do so. So satellite radio better have its deflector shields ready.

"Did the Enterprise succeed in destroying Landru from space? "
No, they actually were able to destroy the computer in situ...
on the site...

Never seen it....sometimes parodies solicit a laugh from me. This one didn't, but I'm not a Star trek fan.

Anything to make us feel better

:-:~ Phantom

I love the old star trek. I remember that show vividly. My son thinks the next generation is the best so we have some lively discussions about that

There are many stories that relate to our fight against the RIAA, some with considerable parallels, like this Star Trek episode, and simpler ones like the fight against good and evil, which is portrayed in many novels, movies, videogames, shows, ect. Looking into parallel situations can reveal facets of our fight that were formerly invisible. Nice article Code~ =D

Code...that is one fantastic article! I remember the Landru episode very well. It is a very apt comparison to the big labels and the RIAA. Now how are we gonna blow them up...I'm afraid this is going to take some time.

I just heard the most incredible survey results on CNN...a huge percentage of Americans believe that downloading music for personal use is not bad, and should not be subject to fines. Considering the press has a one track mind that keeps issuing a very Landru-ish message...piracy is evil! Feels like a dent to me. Hey, we made a dent.

"The labels have obviously been sold a bill of goods. Someone convinced them that if 12 year old little Sally Sue could not download 50 Cent ("fiddy cent") or some other loser's song, little Sally Sue would go to the record shop (or iTunes or one of the other nauseating 99 cent download shops) and purchase the song."

I don't think the RIAA/labels actually believe this... it is merely what they want us to think they believe. The RIAA is not afraid Sally Sue will hear a song on p2p and then not buy the CD, they know damn well she would be MORE likely to buy the CD if she learns of the song (by any or all methods INCLUDING p2p.)

What the RIAA is REALLY afraid of is that Sally Sue will find other than RIAA music.

It is the will of Landru.

Shmoo, of Electric Gypsy
Support Local and Independent Music!

Or the old Star Trek epi where the Gov't thugs had their own brand of Naziism going on with the old fart who was the Fuhrer figurehead whom they kept drugged and only allowed the public to see him when they wanted him to speek their agenda.

Star trek fan? Me? Captdunsel?

"give my regards to Captain Dunsel" - Bob Wesly, Captain, Lexington (the episode about the M5)

nooooo

Oh, I mean..

great article Code, I like the analogy.

here's the thing that's really been bothering me though.

"The labels have obviously been sold a bill of goods. Someone convinced them that if 12 year old little Sally Sue could not download 50 Cent ("fiddy cent") or some other loser's song, little Sally Sue would go to the record shop (or iTunes or one of the other nauseating 99 cent download shops) and purchase the song."

I don't believe that men who are capable of running major corporations like the record labels are that stupid. I think they are testing the waters. they want us to believe they are that stupid but in reality I believe what they are after is a pay-per-view internet and I think all this other bullshit is a way of working towards that goal. they want to make it look like they've tried everything else and all of it failed. Sooner or later you will see this come up in the legislature but the difference will be that the labels will be pushing for it not the riaa.

You may be completely right Capt.

The BSA inflates the "loss" to software companies as billions as a result of warez...but the average warez user is a kid in their mid teens ...there's no way that would BUY something like a piece of software that runs 3 grand....

It's just their public statement on why they are going after these kids...the truth is, they aren't losing a penny.

Number one...the kids downloading would not be buying all this crap

Number two...they aren't losing because it's just ones and zeros being transferred...no boxes, no advertising revenue, no physical media, no tech support...nada!

The sad thing is number two may be true when it comes to tech support even if you buy.

That whole free-sample analogy is missing something. You forgot the ones who wander around the store and try EVERY sample instead of eating lunch, and then flip their hat around and turn the coat inside out and go back for seconds.