So its looking like the RIAA's case against the single mother accused of downloading 24 copyrighted songs, may be going to trial today.
Everything about this story pisses me off beyond belief... First you have an industry that is half in the toilet as it is from constantly pushing cookie-cutter, non-original, and just downright awful music that they themselves pay stations to play (very much illegal).
Then they wonder why they're losing money? Or scratch that, they wonder why they aren't making as much money as they used to?
Why not put out a decent product for a change? Why not embrace these emerging technologies as they come, rather then use your Gestapo method of dealing with innovation (ie, crush anything first, then steal their idea for your own, ie, napster?).
I'm so tired of this most blatant abuse of corporate power, that I really don't even know what else to say... I guess they'll all get theirs in the the next life, kinda like that jackass Valenti is getting right now (too much?) :).
5 comments:
its a good thing they werent monitoring Scournet usages in the 90's. Or better yet, the FTP sites.
Ok, I will never, EVER understand the various rationales of the "It's Ok to steal because" crowd. None of you would accept any of these excuses from your kid if he was caught swiping a candy bar from the local 7-11...
1. "The product is a bad product anyway." Ok, so your response is to...steal it? And why are we stealing a "bad product," again?
2. "Why not deal with innovation?" That's like blaming the store you stole the candy bar from for not investing in security cameras. Stop projecting- you are the criminal, NOT the store.
3. "They are losing money anyway..." Huh? What business is that of yours? And how does stealing help a company that is losing money?
4. "This is abuse of corporate power..." Oh please. Pirating music isnt the act of a Freedom Fighter. Really, get over yourself. You want something for free and are willing to steal to get it.
5. "Gestapo method of dealing with innovation.." there's that word "innovation" again? What do you mean- dealing with new, high-tech ways to steal other people's property? Oh, and please spare me the "artists dont get adequately compensated for their work" argument- first, it's not your business, and second, stealing doesn't help the artist "recover" his "losses" one bit.
Nice to know you are so concerned that music, video, etc. companies are losing money, which you take as just another excuse to steal the property of others. Remember you made that argument the next time someone breaks into your house and steals your TV. Property is Property, "Too Expensive" has never been a reasonable justification for Stealing, and how you feel about the property owner isn't either.
There is one problem with you argument, the fact that someone at some time DID purchase said song and is merely sharing with others. Tape trading has been around for a very long time, hell it's how groups like Metallica became famous.
It is only stealing if they took it directly from the music companies. They get a copy from someone else, who likely got it from someone else, but somewhere in the chain someone DID purchase it.
First off, you are totally off-base, but I'll let you know by how much.
As far as innovation goes, there have been several services that have popped up to facilitate downloads for music that have tried their damnedest to work together with the RIAA to work out the royalties...
Instead of working this out, they refused to work together and instead brought the might of their lobby onto Napster's nuts... This is not how business is done.
When Mac wants to launch a service online, they are able to do so because they are well connected and know the right wheels to grease (helps being a multi-billion dollar corporation, instead of some dude with a great idea). Even then, they have to cowtow to every little stupid demand the RIAA tried to put into place (including that asinine "Protected" media shit, that doesn't work).
Secondly, this IS an abuse of corporate power! The burden of proof required to prove that any of these people ACTUALLY downloaded the songs in question is so astronomical and impossible to pinpoint to one machine to a certain time, that they are essentially strong-arming people that can't afford legal fees into paying a few grand for the "suspicion" of downloading illegal songs.
How is that any different then some goons walking into your shop and saying "nice place you got here, shame if something BAD happened to it...."
Its psychotic what they are doing, and if they didn't have such a well-greased lobbying group, then someone might have the balls to stand up to it
Its all about money, plain and simple. Shane does have a valid point on the argument of the actual "theft of intelectual property". Someone purchased it somewhere. After a decade and a half of RAII losing money toward tape swapping, The RAII THINKS they have a means of tracking downloaders. Dews is on the otherhand, correct with his debate. The method RAII THINKS it has is seriously flawed.
The idiots at be are unaware that people can hack and do pretty much anything to an IP address.
This brings me back to my earlier point. What is the difference between downloading and tape-swapping? Give the public a product worthy of buying and it will be bought. Ole Kanye proved that point not to long ago.
This lawsuit is bullshit and I have a strong feeling will be tossed out. As will the other countless ones.
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