Get legal — or else
February 17, 2004 |
This article originally printed in The Orlando Sentinel’s New Voices column on January 17th.
There is an evil currently lurking the internet in search of its next victim. This evil doesn’t distinguish between man, woman, or child. The only thing it cares about is accomplishing its goal: the complete elimination of illegal music downloading. This evil I speak of is known as the Recording Industry Association of America (or RIAA) and has declared war with “illegal file swappers.”
RIAA has issued hundreds of law suits against such individuals as a 12 year old girl. How cruel is that? The girl settled with RIAA for $2000. RIAA’s claim is that people are illegally obtaining their music from the internet using programs such as KaZaA and Morpheus. These programs allow users to download music from other users — the creators of the technology calls it “file sharing.” Whatever the terminology, RIAA calls it illegal. I think that having a suggested retail price of $17.99 for a CD and concert tickets that cost $75 is illegal, but that’s just me.
My question to RIAA is this: if the musicians are really loosing money, as RIAA claims, because people are downloading music rather then buying it in stores, then how is it that Elvis made over $40 million dollars in 2003 based on album and merchandise sales? That’s a lot of money for a dead man; just think what the guys who are actually alive are making.
I really don’t think that internet downloading has hurt the recording industry as much as RIAA would like us to think. Some artists are known to release songs, and even albums, online. The Dave Matthews Band released the title track to their “Everyday” album online a month before the album was out in stores in an effort to drum up popularity for it. The DMB also unofficially released an album known around the internet as “The Lillywhite Sessions” online in an effort to spite their new contract.
Though, no matter how much I disagree with RIAA’s tactics or beliefs, the country is starting to adapt to them — which means that they are winning the war. In a recent CNN poll, some 60% of Americans believe that downloading music online is illegal as opposed to only 30% last year. But, with RIAA monitoring most internet service providers in search of people it can sue, I guess I have no choice but to comply.
Wayne
February 23rd, 2004 | 5:15 pm
I think you should put more effort into backing up your arguements, and avoid saying that you think something is illegal even though you know for a fact that it isn’t. MSRP of cds, for example.
Also, I think we should be like Canada, where downloading music is perfectly legal. Uploading, however, will bite you in the butt.
Shannon
February 23rd, 2004 | 6:45 pm
Justin, congratulations on your article. Wayne, that was very nice constructive criticism. I think you are right, I think that there needs to be a bit more support for the arguments - - you might consider making me your editor.