Music United Coalition Launches Educational Campaigns To Keep Music Fans Legal When Downloading Music

June 29, 2005 (Washington, DC) – The Music United for Strong Internet Copyright (“Music United”) Coalition today launches two initiatives to help keep music fans safe and legal when downloading music on the Internet—one designed to reach millions of fans in cities across the country and the other a worldwide initiative to help parents initiate discussions with their children.

“At a time when national attention is drawn to the issue of music theft, more than ever before we as an industry have a unique opportunity to educate our fans and the public at large of the consequences of illegal downloading,” said Rick Carnes, President of the Songwriters Guild of America and Chairman of the Coalition’s Communication Subcommittee. “As a coalition we are delighted to take this message ‘to the street” nationwide and to dinner table conversations between parents and their kids across the globe.”

Music United today joins Childnet International in a worldwide educational campaign to help parents understand how to keep their children safe and legal when downloading music on the Internet. A new parental pamphlet, “Young People, Music and the Internet – a guide for parents about P2P, file-sharing and downloading,” will be distributed worldwide in the coming months and on websites including www.musicunited.org. Childnet International is leading the campaign with various partners in 18 countries worldwide.

The campaign responds to the increasing demand for clear information for parents about music and the Internet. “While the guide is mercifully free of technical jargon, it includes a wealth of information about how parents can help understand and influence their children’s choices when downloading music from the Internet,” said Carnes. The guide also outlines the security and legal risks to children and the family computer.

In addition, Music United unveiled the “Feed a Musician, Download Legally” advertisement campaign. The ads will appear on outdoor poster space in 11 major cities including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Atlanta, Boston, Baltimore, D.C., Philadelphia, Dallas, and Houston. The ads will be seen by millions of people daily, as the ads will be tacked to visible outdoor space such as metro stops and the sides of buildings undergoing renovations.

Representing virtually every segment of the music community, Music United is a coalition that comes together on broad industry concerns to address those issues that affect the individuals who bring music to life.

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Contact:
Rick Carnes

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Legal Online Music Sources (according to musicunited.org)


Where to Get Music Online…
Without Breaking the Law

Visit these sites for legal music on the web.

Amazon.com
AOL Music
Apple's iTunes Music Store
Artist Direct
AudioCandy
BestBuy
BET
BuyMusic.com
Catsmusic
Circuit City
College Concerts
Compact Disc World
Corner CD
Dimples Music
Electric Fetus
Emusic
Exitos Musical
French Pro-Music
Full Audio's MusicNOW
FYE
Gallery of Sound
German Pro-Music
Independent Record
Instavid
Latin Noise
Lifeway
LiquidAudio
Mainstreet
Millennium Music
MIRA Coalition
MP3.com
Musicmatch
Music Millennium
MusicNet@AOL
Music Rebellion
Napster
Netscape Music
New World Record
Passalong
Peer Impact
Pro-Music
Quonset Hut
RasputinMusic
RealNetworks' Rhapsody
Record and Tape Trader
Rolling Stone
Sam Goody
Sony Connect
Spinner
Streamwaves
Top Hits Music
Tower Records
Wal-Mart
Windows Media
Yahoo Music Unlimited

This list is 'telling' because of what sites they have deliberately ignored and left off.

(Where's Dmusic, IUMA, Garageband, Soundclick, etc. etc.???)

Folks, don't be fooled. Music United is NOT truely artist friendly. In fact, they are little more than a coalition of RIAA pawns and slaves!

Make sure you deface the bills with "Visit www.boycott-riaa.com for the truth!

Those are simply the RIAA licensed music sites. Independent musicians are ignored by the RIAA with good reason, they are NOT part of of the RIAA which consists primarily of the majors.

I know you don't mean to imply you want the RIAA representing the artists on DMusic and other indie sites, as the board consists of major labels, and one or two huge indies. WHile RIAA music is faultering and losing sales indie music is selling more than ever.

Also another good source is at http://www.legalmp3downloads.com A creation of David Lawrence who interviewed Bill Evans, the founder of boycott-riaa.com 4 days after the site launched. While he did ambush me it got the word out big time. If the name is familar he's the host of Online Tonight, and also later interviewed Michelle Robertson promoting DMusic.

Gee, Bill Evans--didn't I see him on TechTV's Music Wars a long long time ago? Didn't I actually start visiting this site way back then? (It's sometimes considered a sign of mental illness to talk about yourself in the third person. Lots of new people here don't know who you are, but I have a long memory.)

Back to topic, though, does this bunch actually say how much the artist gets from these "legal downloads," or is that something they really don't want to talk about?

I meant to imply that Music United really only "represents" the major players and that they do not speak for the true independent musicians of the world.

Glad to see ya thumbtack! (Got any opinions on the recent MGM v Grokster decision?)

HMMMMM I see they left off allofmp3.com from there list but there legal according to the Russian offical's. The Riaa hasn't sued their them or their customers and when the Riaa tried to shut them down it didn't happen riaa was unable too. This just proves if you don't do it the major label way they won't promote you!!!!!!!

To be honest I can understand why indies are left out. it's business. I don't advertise products and services my competitor provides however we are on level playing fields which isn't the case with music. If indies or their sites are advertised it'll have to be by their labels or bands but since the RIAA has a monopoly on distribution that's not very easy.

Starve one record exec and you can feed a multitude of musicians.

Please though. If you do see these bills posted. Take a marker to it

Miami is evidently not in their sights, yet, but I just saw a guy on C-Span yesterday who swears that declassified documents show the military has trained soldiers to kill goats using their psychic powers. (Really, that's what his book is about!) So, I'm going to use my psychic powers to put Boycott-RIAA all over those posters. As soon as I find them.

DeadMan, I can't in good conscience advocate the defacing of property by Boycott-Riaa members/participants...

(but I do realize that some of our readers are possibly also mischievious downhillbattle.org "activist types")

(But seriously folks... DON'T do anything illegal.)

I can't use my psychic powers on them? *sniff*