The fall in US music shipments is accelerating, says the RIAA. Total shipments during the first half of 2003 fell 15.8% from the same period last year to 398.5 million units, and the value of shipments was down 12% to $4.8 billion.

And "these illegal peer-to-peer services" and "illegal file sharing" are reponsible for much of that decline, says RIAA president Cary-Sue Sherman.

This time last year, shipments were down 10.1% in units and 6.7% in value from the first half of 2001, and total CD shipments were down 15.3% in unit terms; this follows a 7% decline in first-half 2002.

"The trade group attributes the declines, in large part, to music piracy on peer-to-peer networks and illegal CD copying," says a Billboard Bulletin story here.

It quotes Sherman as saying, "While there are other factors contributing to the decline of music shipments in 2003, including the fact that there are significantly fewer music retail locations, illegal file sharing continues to adversely impact the sale of physical CDs. We believe the use of these illegal peer-to-peer services is hurting the music industry's efforts to distribute music online in the way consumers demand."

In addition to the shuttered stores, the industry is beginning to feel the impact of a smaller pipeline as music retailers shrink their music inventory to make room for other merchandise lines, adds Billboard Bulletin.

(Thanks for the pointer, gilbd : )

-Gilbd GREAT LINK!

Cary-Sue said:
"...We believe the use of these illegal peer-to-peer services is hurting the music industry's efforts to distribute music online in the way consumers demand."
Did I miss something? When has KaZaA been declared not to be legal? As an atty., I wish Cary-Sue would give me the case that determined all p2ps were illegal (since he did not say "some").

As far as shuttered stores, there are going to be many more!

I notice that now, Cary-Sue is acknowledging other factors, (""While there are other factors contributing to the decline of music shipments in 2003, including the fact that there are significantly fewer music retail locations, illegal file sharing continues to adversely impact the sale of physical CDs. ")and he is now just saying that the downloading is contributing to overall loses.

Know why Cary-Sue is doing this? Because the RIAA has actually poured over the stats, and know, that in court, they cannot prove that the major cause of dropping sales, is downloading. Also, this "shipment" deal is a contrivance. As George Z. pointed out, there is a difference between shipping units, and actual sales. Sending props to George Z for his work in analyzing this situation back when.
~code

and its gonna get even lower after were done

Continually refusing to blame themselves. Can those people REALLY be that stupid? Or are they just so blind with "money and power lust" that their brains have lost all ability to think sensibly and logically? I choose the latter. I wonder what poor soul is going to feel their wrath next.

One of the greatest evils on this planet is lurking, searching, hunting for innocent prey, to suck everything but their soul from them, just to expext them to put money in their greedy hands! I have never felt so "potentially" victimized and threatened in my life! I cannot be the only one feeling an intense rage building towards all of this shit. This is not supposed to happen in America! If there is ever a gathering in D.C. (or anywhere), I will go there from here in Iowa to be a voice! One of hundreds of thousands OR MORE! I will vote! I will donate all I can! I will spread the truth! I ALREADY DO! But I WILL NEVER again support the RIAA, or anyone connected with them, as long as I live! God this is all so wrong!

KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK GUYS! BOYCOTT

And "these illegal peer-to-peer services" and "illegal file sharing" are reponsible for much of that decline, says RIAA president Cary-Sue Sherman.

That statement plus a picture of Cary-Sue are soon to be printed on lots of rolls of toilet paper and distributed to as many folks as I can.
WABBITMAN

of course peer to peer is to blame....and when they(p2p) are gone the sales of Cds are gonna go right through the roof....this will happen after Jimmy Hoffa announces he wasnt dead just on vacation, Elvis comes back, and Yoko Ono launches an investigation into why the Beatles broke up

LOL SVENGALI...

hay you may have a market there wabbitman but to bad i'm (copy wrighting) it so nah :0P but any way this post is only showing just how week thay are becomeing not only are thay admitting there might be a possablty that p2p is not total to blame but thay have come back to release the same statment thay have released almost every single time that thay have made a satement thay are showing this is all thay have to say and what thay are saying is changing so don't think the public is dumb there not and if the public keeps hearing the same thing out of them soon thay will ? why thay are not saying any thing but this over and over agin and sooner or later thay will come out with the deal braker like some thing in public light that will be conceved as true lashing out becose right now every one is staying quite becose of fear thay will be busted if thay speak out most folks in the usa are file swappers thay really don't know whats legal and whats not becose file swapping is legal but the riaa has shown it will go after consumers and the consumers will not have much of a public backlash this is as far as thay can see i bleave thay don't know why there sales are still falling i really am starting to bleave that and then thay will slip and say some thing maybe like are consumers are all pierts all off them!!!!!!!! right now thay are only publicly saying p2p users are pierts well enuff of this post and sorry if this dose not make any sence hahahah i hadly ever do make sence to any one but me.......:0)

wabbitman,

I want a case of that toilet paper )

And for the boy named sue...

GOOD! I'm happy to see you're suffering bitch! With any luck you'll be standing in line in a soup kitchen trying to give your crap that you call music away 'cause I sure as hell ain't buying it. And one more thing, I've been known to sing to myself and whistle occasionally. It's possible I might have whistled something from Led Zepplin Or Foghat or a group called "City Boy" that you fuckers choked out in the late '70's (epic records didn't like having their phone number given out at the first of a song)That being the case I'm sure you'll want to sue me for infringement. Tell you what, we can settle that one out of court. When I see you on the street corner begging for a stale crust of bread I'll point you in the direction of a welfare office where you can get some cheese to go with that whine.

(wow, I'm on a roll here, I kinda hate to stop)

I'd really like feel sorry for the riaa but I don't. And I probably won't. And If I had my way, hillary rosen would spend the rest of her life strapped to a treadmill, pounding out corn for a tortilla factory while a jelly donut dangled just out of reach of her pig like snout. (have I said enough to get targeted for a lawsuit yet?)

And.... well, more after I have breakfast. If I get too wound up now they'll make me take more thorazine.

the only good riaa is a dead riaa.
peace

I want a dart board with Cary-Sue's picture on it, and an automatic dart gun (if there were such a thing) to help take some aggression out on! Not very lady-like of me, but I kept it clean. If you only knew what I REALLY thought...whew! I think I scare myself sometimes!

captdunsel, you just made me crack up laughing! Thank you! While at work tonight, I will run that through my head over and over to make me laugh all night!

any time I can help.. :0)

Gotta love how the music indutry blames file sharing for their losses and I am still baffled on where they get their number, I think they pull them out of their asses... sources please? heh

As long as people continue to utilize file sharing progs, there will be enough data to blame p2p for the decline in sales. I've seen numerous posts all over this board about how proud everyone is that the numbers of users on Kazaa "are higher than ever".

So, keep right on sharing and make the RIAA's case for them. We can argue all we want about how it isn't so, but the numbers will speak for themselves. All file sharing is doing is creating propaganda fuel for the RIAA.

UNLESS file sharing drops off along with the decline in sales, there is no way we can tell anyone with any veracity that our boycott is working. Sure, WE can claim that our boycott is having an effect, but they can always point to the record numbers of file sharers at present.

And you know what? The RIAA argument is credible, whether we like it or not. The correlation is there for anyone to see.

Code, I don't know about you, but I'm getting mighty damn tired of reading threads about how much file sharing is going on, and having newbies show up here, looking for advice on how to share without getting caught.

The RIAA will never acknowledge the effects of a boycott, but we'll never be able to convince anyone else it's working if file sharing goes up while sales go down.

To tell ya the truth, I don't blame George for tossing it in. Only a handful of us on this site actually understand what the hell I'm even talking about here. George has said to stop downloading RIAA music all along, and so have I and a few others.

Whatever.

quote: In addition to the shuttered stores, the industry is beginning to feel the impact of a smaller pipeline as music retailers shrink their music inventory to make room for other merchandise lines, adds Billboard Bulletin.

A couple of things here folks...

1) RIAA and companies have been doing a number here. The old if you holler fire and beat the drum long enough someone will figure you might have something worth paying attention to. They have been telling those that matter that here is the fire; the p2p crowd. At no time is it ever mentioned that ANYTHING else could be the problem. (the old magician sleight of hand and misdirection)

2)The music store pipeline, consisting of chains, mom and pop stores, and discount stores. Discount stores and chains are responcible in large for the reduction in mom and pop stores. There is no way for the small stores to compete. They can't get the products as cheap, they don't move enough volume for the distributers to cut them a deal, they don't draw a crowd of shoppers.

Music distributers have been cutting those chains deals to get their products on the shelves. So the distributer makes less to sell more volume. (Sound like a place to claim loss of money on units?)

The pipeline just doesn't dry up over night either, not across the nation. It shows a trend, nationally instead. In otherwords, raise your product prices, make less of it, claim your customer is the problem, and then sue them. What a neat way to make a living. Somewhere there ought to be a picture of a gun pointed at the consumer just to help him feel better...

The precentage decline in value is always smaller than the precentage decline in sales. Why? Because the price of a CD increases! CDs are getting more expensive especially relatively to other alternatives (e.g. DVDs & computer games). Also I'm not sure if sales include sales through oline services like iTunes et. al.

Another interesting question is which is bigger: the decaline in value of CD sales or the legal and other fees they are paying to hunt down p2p users?

4.3 BILLION?!?!?!? And he's complaining?
I have absolutely had it with this bastard. Has he heard of the weak economy? Loss of jobs nationwide? My god, I have $20 in my pocket, should I buy some food for the table or some sorry CD with 1.2 good songs on it? Lemme think for second........

I wish there was a way to sue someone for being completely clueless. The lawsuits against Cary-Sue would never end. I swear to all here I will NEVER buy another CD associated with that greedy SOB again!!!! (Sorry to rant-just tired of his BS).

AverageConsumer, you are so right! I got 4 people to stop downloading, my kids. Not exactly a lot of people, but it's a start from my home. They didn't like it at first, but educating them is starting to get through. I feel like a mom on a mission!

Nice point, AverageConsumer. You posted while I was writing and you are correct. The slieght of hand will continue as long as there is a p2p still out there uncontrolled. It may be loaded with nothing BUT indie music on the p2p but as long as they can keep it quiet as to who they control through contract, it will still float.

I have listened to major labels all my life. Guess what? I now listen to indie.

Let me give you an example of what that means. In the mid 70's american car manufactures got to where their cars couldn't keep moulding on after 6 months. In addition it was hard to find a service company that would or could actually work on them and fix them properly. I got fed up with it and started buying foreign stuff. Well, they lost money on me because customer loyalty that they depended on left. It went were the product was decent for a decent price. (hint hint, major labels)

I HAVE ANOTHER REASON WHY MUSIC SALES ARE DOWN......THE QUALITY OF THE MUSIC IS NOT WHAT PPL WANT!

I know! I want to write a letter to the RIAA and tell them if they put out music I could actually dance to, I would go out and buy something from them. Plain and simple, today's music sucks! It sucks! In the 80s and early 90s, we had music that was actually recognizable, something you can actually remember, and when you heard it, you were able to say, "I know -- that's Vanilla Ice, or Dexy's Midnight Runners or Thomas Dolby's 'She Blinded Me With Science', or the classic, 'One of Our Submarines.'" Remember the show, "Name That Tune"? Could you actually have that show on TV with the way today's music all sounds the same. It sucks! Can you name that tune in 3 notes? Yeah, that tune is so and so... "Nope! Sorry! It's such and such!" But, for the love of all that's holy and pure, all the music sounds the same! I can't win this game! It all sucks! Just because the teenie bop singer on Disney appeared in some cute show, they think giving her a record contract would be hip because she "can sing." What? We all know the real reason...she's a product that the RIAA thinks will make them money because she has a certain look. No talent. Christina Aguilera, Hilary Duff, Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne and the rest of them and those "boy bands" and fruit loop "American Idols" should just pack it up and go home. No talent anymore. Not even in Hollywood. Nothing is original anymore, and when someone does come up with something original or fresh, Hollywood and the RIAA shoot it down as crap... Small minds. 15.8% is not enough. The RIAA needs to suffer a slow and painful financial death because they have done it to themselves. If you give them and their big mouths enough rope, they will hang themselves. They have shot themselves in the foot with their stupid music and talentless bands and their ingenious plot to sue their own customers. That's real smart. Put out a bad product and then sue people because they were too stupid to follow the digital age and give the consumer what they wanted. "Whew!" I'm done for now.

I hate the RIAA as much as anyone else, and we all know they lie about anything and everything, but we don't have to give them numbers they can manipulate.

We all know there are a number of forces at work to decrease their sales, and p2p is but a small part.

But, I would REALLY like to see a sharp dropoff in p2p numbers, if only for a couple of months. It would be fantastic if the RIAA's sales numbers dropped even faster at the same time. THEN they would really look like idiots if they tried to blame p2p for slow sales.

I can dream, but I don't see this happening. People are such sheep, they'll keep going after free music no matter what.

So the mess will continue, and the powers-that-be will continue to buy the RIAA hype, because file sharers have actually helped the RIAA make its case.

Stopped in to see what was happening before I hit the road.

Two comments.
1) "Shipments" are down. What about sales?

2) From futuremusic.com...
../ Universal Announces Dismal 2nd Quarter Results
Vivendi's revenue dropped 60% last quarter which significantly hinders its
process to unload the Universal Music Group. The Universal Music Group (UMG)
division declined 29%. Citing the same
pull-the-string-on-the-back-of-the-doll excuses: piracy, CD burning,
downloads, hurricanes, floods, tornados, locusts...Vivendi stated that
revenue was only really down 19% when taking into account the exchange rate.
Wow that's good news. This announcement follows MGM's decision to bow out of
the auction process because the minimum bid was too just too rich for them
to stomach.
The Future: In a normal business environment, this would seriously dampen
Vivendi's chances of unloading UMG at a bloated price. Good thing for
Vivendi, no one in the entertainment business lives in on a plane we call
reality.

AverageConsumer

Here's where you are WRONG. Just because people are using file sharing programs DOESN'T mean they are using them to download RIAA files. We don't need a drop off of consumers using file sharing programs. We need a drop off of consumers file sharing RIAA products.

Wouldn't the RIAA get fully exposed if everyone stopped downloading their products, only downloaded non-RIAA artists, and then non of those artists ever appeared on the radio? It would show what a monopolistic system exists in the music industry, from the RIAA produced CDs right down to the payola paid to play songs.

Yes, the RIAA will continue to use peer-to-peer file sharing as a propoganda tool. Just let them try to sue someone who has only non-RIAA music on their share files. To do so would be a clear violations of lots of that persons rights. If it happens to me, I'm counter-suing for a billion dollars, since money is the only thing the RIAA understands.

of course declining sells can't be because most music today is total crap and just carbon-copy rip-offs of Britney Spears now could it?

Of course not (hint: sarcasm)

RIAA can only blow so much smoke up the public's ass before they have to admit that THEY are the reason music is declining and not us.

INeedAlover:

The RIAA is going to spin this the best way they can. They may be stupid, but they still know the difference between their music and non-RIAA music. I doubt seriously they'll hassle someone who has ONLY non-RIAA music on their puter. The way they're snooping files, they only need ONE RIAA song to take it to court.

The average citizen doesn't know the difference, they only know what corporate media whores tell them. All the RIAA has to do is point to raw numbers of users on p2p networks, and claim the numbers are up, and their sales are down. Joe Couchrider won't know the difference, and the RIAA has another believer.

I understand where you're coming from, but this will only be won in the opinions and perceptions of the lowest common denominator in the populace, and they're unable to grasp the point you're trying to make.

I personally don't think it's going to kill anyone to stop using p2p for a few months.

But it's going to hurt the RIAA a lot if we stop using their product.

AverageConsumer is right. If we boycott the RIAA, we have to boycott the downloading of RIAA-affiliated artists.

If BOTH CD sales and file sharing decline, the data will support the notion that there are pleny of other reasons that music shipments are down:

1) Higher CD prices. (Total shipments down more than the value of shipments, as NCdude points out.)

2) Fewer titles released. A smaller selection for the consumer.

3) Competition from copying of legally purchased CDs. (I'll bet that's widespread now that CD burners are so ubiquitous.)

4) Piracy (people selling copied CDs for profit, aided by the availability of CD burners).

5) Competition from other forms of entertainment (cable, movies, videogames, etc.)

6) Lots of crappy new music.

That's just 6 reasons. I'm sure there are more.

What are they going to blame if file sharing continues to show a 15%-20% or so drop for the rest of the year, yet "shipments" and sales still stay down?

While the lawsuits represent a new source of income for the RIAA, it also forces the propaganda machine to think of a new excuse for slow sales.

Hilary is hot

According to Cary-Sue Sherman-

"We believe the use of these illegal peer-to-peer services is hurting the music industry's efforts to distribute music online in the way consumers demand."


Umm...aren't peer-to-peer services the way consumers demand?

Ripandburn - Hilary WAS hot. Now she's not. heh

ripandburn.

you advised hilary is hot? you must now do 500 push ups and go up to the rogues gallery where you can see a picture of hilary being... well, not hot

I don't remember hearing any complaints from the recording industry when they invented CDs, forced out vinyl and sold us all our libraries for the second time. And there won't be any complaints from them when the next technology comes around and they do it all again.

Perhaps they should look at some new artists with talent instead of trying to shove the same tired stuff down our throats. Markets reward thought and innovation; markets do not reward indolence and sloth.

AverageConsumer, if p2p must stop to beat them, then they still win part of the battle. file sharing is not now nor ever will be "wrong". If they stop finding people to subpoena, then that will demonstrate that they are full of it better than giving credence to their claims that file sharing is evil. But even as we speak, file sharing is reporting as being down also. This if anything should tie the reduction of shipments to the reduction of file sharing but it matters not because you can rest assured that anything that happens will be spun like a top.
the icing on the cake would be for the independent music companies sales to blossom with the business that the riaa represented companies are loosing.
So if you have a notion, lets all buy a few indi cds for christmas stocking stuffers.

yadda, yadda, yadda...my predictions are coming true from previous posts. Now we just have to wait for the RIAA to get canned by the major labels for being a bunch of idiots who don't know their customers... In the mean time, cry me a river big labels, welcome to the 21st century.

hmmm.."Hilary is hot"...do you mean
as in "not cool at all"?
lol

Supposedly, the number of people using file sharing software dropped by over 15% when the RIAA began issuing the subpoenas. At this time, were they able to provide information showing that CD sales increased? No.

I don't believe that ceasing to share files will improve the situation. "Winning the war" will be determined by who has the last laugh, which will undoubtedly be the consumer. Any business who sues their primary consumer will ultimately crumple. Should file sharing stop altogether tomorrow, the RIAA would simply chalk it up as a win and move onto the next subject, in order to continue to shield themselves from the facts made obvious by those who determined CD sales, the consumers.

If consumers willingly give up filesharing, the RIAA will simply take this a step further, and who knows what that might be?

Ultimately, this is not about filesharing, but our rights as consumers and human beings.

Hilary's only 15 or 16. Man, I don't even wanna think about how much prison time that'll get ya!!! Isn't it 16 will get you 20 or somethin' like that? Sorry for the off topic..

Wait...Maybe someone should tell the RIAA that we're not demanding online distrobution that prevents us from burning songs to cd or prevents us from listening more than a certain ammount of times. More like the RIAA is demanding us to accept their propriatary formats to prevent us having our rights. Maybe I'll sign up with some online music provider if they start offering non protected files that I can do as I wish with. Until then I'm not demanding anything from them rather than to leave me the fuck alone.

Oh, and in many states, 16 is the legal age of concent (including my home Connecticut).

Moving to Connecticut now.....(just joking!!)

tsk tsk yet again Sherman The Shithead scapegoats us for shipments declining. how is that even possible? like Code said there is a BIG ASS difference between shipment unit numbers and cd sales numbers. do you think the Kazaa fairy came to the factories and destroyed 15% of the CDs using his magic wand?

RIAA wants to cover up their failures by making us(the consumers) look like were responsible for the shipment decline. these RIAA maggots will probaly go to the extent of claiming that P2Ps are now responsible for 9/11 and crop circles. give me a fucking break

I think they are starting to say that p2p is not the only reason because people are starting to realize that it's impossible for p2p to be the only reason. What needs to be done now is get the real reasons they are suffering out to the people with more force than ever. Before the RIAA can make up another lie about why they suck.

AverageConsumer

Regarding your plea to stop d/ling RIAA files. I TOTALLY 150% AGREE with you but you may as well preach to a wall.

These people are not sheep to free music..just RIAA music. It's easy to get hooked to a hit song on radio or TV and d/l and then preach anti-RIAA which loses all credibility to me as much as a musician or band who professes to be indie but secretly wishes to be signed to major who will rape and pillar them. So I TOTALLY understand your frustration! And youre right...theyre total sheep and totally full of shit when they BS anti-RIAA rhetoric and ask where to find your next Linkin Park files. *pbuh*

Let's see, how do you spell disingenuous?

I thought there was proof that file-sharing was down 22% while they had lost 9.4%. It's slowly declining because of what they're doing, yet they deny it at every turn. But I'd like to see this continue to decline until they have no choice to file for bankruptcy. That would be the most hilarious thing I've ever seen.

The record industry is way too quick to blame the peer-to-peer networks for the loss in sales but there are many factors to the ultimate demise of record labels:

1. Weren't all the record companies just recently convicted for price fixing?

2. Isn't the US still in a recession right now?

3. Haven't the copyright laws been so grossly extended (by lobbying of the record labels I might add) to keep certain works like Elvis and The Beatles from becoming public domain?

4. Is the industry turning a blind eye to the fair use law?

5. Isn't it perfectly legal to share files in Canada and the rest of the world for that matter?

6. Isn't the RIAA fighting an uphill battle which will result in the alienation of all people who purchase music from the recording industry?

The list is just endless but let's just blame peer-to-peer networks just because it is easier and at least this way we can attempt to regain money we should have never had in the first place.

You greedy record labels will get what is coming to you and what's more, most intelligent artists won't support you either because you've been stealing from them for years.

Don't try and argue that without record labels, most artists would give up because they wouldn't be able to pursue their dreams and elevate their status from rags to riches either. Artists choose to become artists because they enjoy what they do and if anything, with the absence of record labels, only truely talented artists would become successful and not certain fad-artists who think kissing Madonna is ok.

I totally agree with AverageConsumer's posts.

P2P will always be to blame for the fall in cd sales. But this article wasn't about the fall in cd sales, but rather in the fall of cd shipments. BIG difference. We're not buying it, so they stores aren't ordering it, so the industry isn't shipping it. Has nothing to do with sales. What was shipped probably has been sold.
What better way to squash P2P and blame it for their demise? They fail to ship cd's, then report a drop in shipments, then blame it on P2P.

One might ask: If they aren't shipping then they are losing money, right? Wrong!!

When a record store order's a shipment of the newest crap, the store pays the industry for the shipment. Then the store barely breaks even by selling the cd's to the consumer. As long as the industry ships enough to cover their overhead, it doesn't matter. I feel that they have been doing this all along. Control the amount of cd's that are shipped, report the difference between the previous quarter as a loss, and then blame the competition. Most people view shipping and sales as the same thing, and it isn't.

I remember when the newest release would cover an entire shelving unit in a local music store. Now the newest release is lucky to get an entire shelf.
They are limiting the number of cd's that are shipping.

There is roughly 5 people who don't use P2P to every 1 person who does in the US. (60 million P2P users, 282 million Americans.) That is only around 20% of the population, if not less, that use P2P. That means that 80% of the public doesn't use P2P. Believe it or not, the Demand is still there for the crap the RIAA produces. They are intentionally not supplying. Simple rules of supply and demand.

Personally, I would like to see the RIAA accounting info.

Code...
You said it first, but somewhere between your post and mine, the message has gotten lost.

great analysis SonOfLiberty, and of course, you have my complete agreement with everthing you said~!
~code

this really ticks me off that these people can't stop blaming file-sharing for all their problems. File-sharing is not the only reason that sales are declining.... whatever happened to QUALITY MUSIC?????

My favorite band Duran Duran hasn't signed with a record label yet, even after 2 years of writing, recording, and doing sold-out shows from the US to Japan... I hope they are careful about their choice.

The RIAA needs to wise up and realize they are only going to further alienate consumers with their scare tactics, I'm not stupid enough to plop down money for CD's from an industry that doesn't give a crap about anything except lining their pockets.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/961201.asp?0dm=C19MB.....well well, read this little snippet of info on your $150,000 singles....oh how the mighty have fallen

SonsOfLiberty,

"One might ask: If they aren't shipping then they are losing money, right? Wrong!!"

Let me get this right - by your own admittance, 'stores' purchase the albums from the labels and then distribute them. If 'stores' aren't purchasing the albums, labels aren't losing money?

If shipment is down, demand is down, and if demand is down, sales are down, and if sales are down, the revenue is down.

The issue isn't whether the RIAA is still making a profit. Because of the way they do business, preventing them from making a profit would be near impossible. The issue is whether they are receiving the same funds they were before they started suing their consumers. It's apparent that they're not.

This brings us to what I feel has been the issue all along - The RIAA, as expected, is not prepared to adjust their stardard of living, which would be the direct result of P2P becoming legal and/or artists receiving their due percentage of the profit coming from their art.