The RIAA is at it again-sueing college and 3rd graders

[The Byre]

Yea, but don't blaim me!

It's no more my fault that digital came along and made all this happen, than you were at fault for Catrina.

I am telling you the storm is coming. Does that make me at fault for the storm? Does that make it my storm?

Don't just sit there, hoping that somehow the storm will go away. Do something about it!

You, yes you, are in the right place. You are in the most musical city in the US. Put on concerts. Get things going. Make music.

But don't just sit there and say "This is all wrong!"

Free downloads are not going to go away, just because we don't like them.

[The Byre]

Originally Posted by not_so_new

If Ford were to start producing the Model-T again next year, even if you hate the company and think the design of the car is out of date you still don't have a right to take it illegally. THAT is the point that Jazzpunk. I don't see why you don't get that?

I am not saying that it is right.

I am merely pointing out that free downloads are today's reality.

I wish that they would go away.

But you and me wishing ain't going to do a great deal.

[lordmiguel]

Originally Posted by The Byre

The music industry has to stop whining and compaining about downloads and find a new business model that is not based on recorded music.

Yeah, how dare they try to take back a business from us spoiled punks. We steal now and you will have no choice but to give in to our stealing powers. No one can overcome our stealieness. We hate you corporate commies and we are gonna steal you till you die. Heh ....you'll see. You have no chance against the un-united brat punks for free music, you don't stand a chance! Death to the infidels!!!

Originally Posted by Resonant Alien

Take this back 20 years. I used to make cassette tapes of my brothers LPs. Sometimes, I would share my tapes with my friends. Technically, I was in violation of Copyright, but at that age (12, 13) I had no idea. But even then, the same rule applied for me - if I had a tape of a band and ended up liking them enough, I would eventually go buy the LP because the sound quality was better and I got the liner notes.

Just becasue it wasn't enforced back then doen't mean that its justified or legal now.

Just becasue it wasn't practical to prosecute then doesn't mean it is not practical now.

The sound quality of an mp3 vs cd is marginally noticeable to John Q Public as far as rock, urban and pop or country goes, basically most of the industry. Especially with the spaekers and earbuds through which they listen.

The value added of liner notes is marginal to make a major business model like this work.

[Mike Caffrey]

Originally Posted by no ssl yet

Jay wouldn't be a brand if he never sold CDs. So looking at a situation that was caused by selling CDs originally is not fair to the discussion. You are discussing individuals who made what they are doing today possible by selling CDs remove that from the process and you have a totally different situation.

Your arguemnt is based on an unknowable fact. He woulnd't be a brand if it werent' for his music, but he's not a brand <B> because </B> he sold his CDs. Maybe he would have been a bigger brand.

If you're making an argument about perceived value, fine, but that's about money and Jay Z's value as a brand really is more about peers pressure than monetary value.
[/QUOTE]

Originally Posted by no ssl yet

Also CDs are NOT Drugs. Your comparison is a stretch. With coke, If i give you a dime, you no longer have it tomorrow when you want another one. But if you could smoke the same dime every day and nothing would happen to it, you'd never come back to me.

I think you're confused. I was making an analogy, but saying CDs are drugs.

Originally Posted by no ssl yet

Your argument about other revenue streams does not apply. You are totally missing the point that these revenue streams started because record sales were the catlyst

Actually, that was my point.

Originally Posted by no ssl yet

Tshirts, Concert tickets are sold because people appreciate the band. If everyone is bombarded with free samples of music all day every day, there would be little interest in finding the gems if you had to wade through Months worth of bullshit to find one.

Exactly, that's why P2P sharing is the most effective method, it's not spam or junk mail when it comes from someone you know.

Or maybe knowing them is how you know that it is.

A friend sharing new music with you because the know your tast is very different that Amazon saying "people who bought your book also bought these."

Originally Posted by no ssl yet

Your concept of a loss leader is not likely to apply. Americans don't really respect what they get for free. There is no prestige attached to ownership.

That's why no one is speind a lot of time downloading free music, right? They don't value it, so they don't want it, so they don't download it.

Originally Posted by no ssl yet

You are overlooking the very nature of the industry. There are loss leaders, the single is given away to promote the album. But you are discussing giving away the ALBUM. It would work fine for Jay or Kiss, because they built their audiences by selling units. But for a new artist with good music what do you think would make him stand out among all of the MILLIONS of other wanna be artists giving away music?

If every day you opened your mail you had 1 MILLION pieces of junk mail, how many of them would you read?

None, but if the recommendation came from a friend or other qualified filter, I would. That's why P2P is more powerful than myspace.

Originally Posted by no ssl yet

Let's not apply other things to the record industry that don't apply and let's not consider things/conditions that exist for stars today as if they apply to the entire industry.

Sounds like a good idea. I'm sure glad I haven't done that!

Alright this has become pretty pointless. I'm out of it. You guys can argue how good it is that music is free and how many opportunities it creates to have your product given away for free where you used to make money

[KingDaddyO]

Originally Posted by no ssl yet

Alright this has become pretty pointless.

Now that I agree with ...