Breakdown of ethics

Submitted by by Charles Austin Lemley
References by Nick LeBlanc

With the ever increasing computer technology industries, is it that surprising that music, which was once hard to find, except for the radio, is now easier than ever to find, download, and burn to your own personal compact disk?

For over a year now the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) and peer-to-peer networks have been at each other, with verbal arguments, website attacks, and lawsuits. Falling victim to the most recent attack was 12-year-old Brianna LaHara. Brianna’s mother settled out of court for 2 dollars a song or $2000. Brianna was accused of sharing more than 1,000 songs over Kazaa, a free peer-to-peer file-sharing service. "We’re trying to send a strong message that you are not anonymous when you participate in peer-to-peer file-sharing and that illegal distribution of copyrighted music has consequences," said Mitch Bainwol, RIAA chairman.

With the music industries decline in sales in the past two years one can see where a twelve year old may present a problem. According to the New York Times, The Recording Industry Association of America says there have been a 31% drop in sales of record music since file sharing became popular more than three years ago, but statistics from Forrester research show that the sales decline since 2000 has been half that, or 15%, and that 35% of that amount is because of unauthorized downloading.

Why would the RIAA mislead its loyal fans and employee’s? One might think to gain sympathy for their cause and justify a reason for taking a 12-year-old's lunch money for the next two and a half years. The lawsuits are over musicians and recording labels losing much of there revenue to file sharing, however many musicians signed to major record labels never receive royalties from there own record sales.

Unknown to many, artists never receive royalties for a record until the record company has earned back the money it took to produce the record. To promote themselves, artists open up their own websites. On many of these sights you can download most, if not all, of the artist's previous albums and most recently released onto radio.

What's strange is, according to RIAA.com, the Right of Communication grants authors the exclusive right to make their works available to the public in a manner in which the public may access them through on demand services (such as the Internet ). It also provides that such availability is to be considered a communication to the public, as opposed to an individual communication. If an artist puts his or her music online does that necessarily mean that it’s wrong for peer-to-peer file-sharing networks such as, Kazza, Imesh, and WinMx to make it available?

Most artist don't support what the RIAA is currently doing to most of their fans. Many musicians have spoken out against the RIAA, "For the artist my ass … I didn’t ask them to protect me, and I don’t want their protection," Says David Draiman, lead singer of the hard rock band Disturbed. Some artists feel pressure from the RIAA, or are just money hungry and have gone with them on their campaign against downloading music. Napster is "Robbing me blind," Scott Stapp, Lead singer of the thought to be Christian band Creed. Most RIAA supporting artists forget why they chose the music industry; they forget what it was like to be nobody.

Let’s face it: most musical artists today are the three things that most people want to be - young, famous, and rich. Taking a few moments and looking at the artist themselves who support the RIAA, one can come up with a few things that all of them have in common:

Most of them don't do well live, and nor do they provide any kind of a live show; their careers have come to a close and are on a constant downward slop; or, basically they/re money hungry. These artists have expenses, families, and personal wants that require their career bring in the cold hard cash, but why take from someone who is less fortunate than you?

According to VH1, Britney Spears earns $50,000 for just waking up each morning. Britney, as most know, is pop's little princess and idealized by most teenage girls. Younger people don't have much money, or have a family, and buying Britney’s cd puts a serious cut in their family expenses. The average family size in the United States is 3.5 Individuals; the income for that family is 33,559 a year, Statistically Britney makes more in one day of life that the average family in the United State makes in 365 days.

Besides Poisoning teenage girls into thinking that have to dress provocatively and be "Sexy", Britney wants these children to give her more money for it. Get some morals little girl!

As the downloading continues and the computer industry continues to grow the RIAA should be content in their crusade to take more money from small children and older citizens. As for the artists supporting the RIAA, the VH1 'Where are they now?' is being made as your career slips into a black hole. The day when the RIAA realizes what a money maker the internet is will be the day profits increase and they're able to put that down payment on their 18th car.

As for those who continue to cherish the life of a musical god, keep in mind those whom you support may be taking you for granted and looking at you as the weak one. Maybe one day some type of moral’s will strike the RIAA and they will realize the same people that their taking thousands from, are the same ones who bought the records they sold and made them what they are today.

I don't care if the RIAA embraces the technology, charges .25 a song, and apologizes, I will never buy another cd from those bastards again. Nor will I let any of my family. What they have done is unforgiveable, and I will not be satisfied until they and their phony, crappy performers (not musicians) are begging on the streets.

HERE HERE. To hell with them.

I agree... we must EXPAND the BOYCOTT and put them out of business. This holiday season will be the first REAL test. The RIAA thinks sales figures have declined alot so far? They haven't seen anything yet!

Agreed.
I'd like to add that I'm shocked at Creed's stance. I used to listen to their music, but screw that.
We need a list of all the artists and their spoken stance on this. I think we should make the RIAA fall victim to the "be careful what you wish for, because you just might get it" catchphrase. They don't want p2p... Fine. Don't share any artists that don't want to be shared. We'll see in a year how their profits compare to the independents who embrace it...

The more we can get people to take these views, the better chance that the evil RIAA will die. We have got to turn the sheep into rams! Right now, our best weapon is to spread the word! Those of us frequently here will take the time and energy to do the other things that help... writing congress, signing petitions, presenting brilliant diatribes here in these forums, etc... but what we REALLY need to do is EDUCATE OUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS about the evil RIAA and persuade them to boycott too! And, like a chain-letter, have them tell thier friends to tell thier friends to tell thier friends, and so on and so on... (see previous thread about the "from one candle to many" thoughts that are relevent!)

Shmoo, of Electric Gypsy
FREE CD 4 U
http://electricgypsy.iuma.com
Support Local and Independent Music!

I wish I could send a chain letter, Shmoo, but many of the people I know support the RIAA campaign to sue its customers. I'm one of the lone holdout.

I dunno, it's hard to feel sorry for musicians when they get $50,000 just for waking up in the morning, while the rest of us are lucky to make half of that amount in a year.

Stay the course. In a time when instant gratification is everything, people tend to get discouraged when they don't see results overnight.

This boycott will work, as long as people stick to it. It will be a slow steady process, but it will bring results. The RIAA and artists are accustomed to having an excess of material possessions, and their lifestyles cost money, lots of it. We can weather the storm much better than they can.

The only effective way to cause them discomfort is to stop giving them money, period. If you want to share copyrighted songs, and you get sued and you settle, you've given them money, period. Spare me the big, tough rhetoric about not settling, please. Just don't get sued, and they won't make any money from you.

Don't buy their music, don't buy their gift products, don't partake of any of it. They need our money more than we need to give it to them. Most of us are used to living frugal lifestyles, the artists forgot what it's like, it's now much harder for them. Let them squirm.

Don't give RIAA music for Christmas, give indie, or give something else. The RIAA needs to see red ink for the holidays. Crank it up.

Long live the boycott. Any artist who is for the RIAA is against us, they can no longer count me among their fans, and they won't get any more of my money.

"I wish I could send a chain letter, Shmoo, but many of the people I know support the RIAA campaign to sue its customers. I'm one of the lone holdout."
--MerylStryfe

uh, your buds are supporting the RIAA position? Who are your friends? Please say they are paid reps of the RIAA.

Or they are in an insane asylum.

If they are regular eMTv/VH1 sheep, we may have lost already.

(Stories like this make the need for EDUCATION about the issues here much more important!!! TELL YOUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY TO BOYCOTT! And take the time to explain WHY!)

Shmoo

Another thing to make this boycott sucessful is to stop watching Mtv and VH1. They both suck as music channels where money and material items and ego are everything.

~Quote~
uh, your buds are supporting the RIAA position? Who are your friends? Please say they are paid reps of the RIAA.

Or they are in an insane asylum.
~Quote~

Unfortunately, Shmoo, I'm in the same boat as Meryl. Most of my friends from church and stuff are hard-core Republicans (Go Independents, musically and politically!!) and support the RIAA's move. I can't get a word in. *sigh* stubborn people.

And I stopped watching MTV and VH1 a loooooooong time ago. Since I don't have cable or anything it helps not to have the temptation there.

For what its worth, I am a Republican and support the boycott.