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Print 14 comment(s) - last by darkfoon.. on Mar 24 at 10:39 AM
Two RIAA execs discuss the organization's highly unpopular tactic to end illegal file sharing

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has gotten virtually nothing but bad press after launching a large-scale attack against college students who allegedly upload copyrighted files via P2P programs.  To attempt to explain what is going on, Mitch Bainwol, RIAA CEO, and Cary Sherman, president, collaborated to explain the ongoing crackdown on student downloading.

The editorial focuses on the "great progress" that has been made while attempting to convince people to stop file sharing.  The editorial states that even though college students used to be the music industry's best customers, "finding a record store still in business anywhere near a campus is a difficult assignment at best."  

The editorial mentions, "There is a big difference between using 'bullying tactics' and using a 'bully pulpit' to make an important point.  Should we ignore this problem and stand silent as entire generations of students learn to steal?"  I highly doubt that people are recommending the RIAA simply turn its back on the amount of music being shared via P2P.  What I have a problem with is how the organization is going about trying to change things -- in fact, it seems they are just trying to make a quick buck rather than actually stop copyrighted file sharing.

With Apple's iTunes selling more than a billion songs, it is clearly evident that someone out there is actually purchasing songs.

To help ease the emotional stress that may be caused after being snagged in the anti-file sharing dragnet, the RIAA has allowed alleged file sharers to pay quickly and easily online at a P2P settlement web site.  The site went live close to the same time that the RIAA sent 400 prelitigation settlement letters to students from 13 different American universities.

Not all universities are keen on simply folding to the demands of the RIAA.  For example, the University of Wisconsin, Madison told the RIAA that the university would not pass out individual settlement letters until the RIAA gets a subpoena.  It will be interesting to see what the RIAA's official response is regarding this matter.

I realize that many of you have strong opinions on the entire RIAA vs. file sharer issue, so I look forward to receiving some hate mail in my inbox!

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Sue Sue Sue!
By MikeO on 3/21/2007 5:39:27 AM , Rating: 2
Suing college students just seems like putting a band-aid on a severed arm and hoping it'll stop the bleeding. No, the RIAA is in a need of a major surgery, wonder how long it'll take for them to figure it out.




RE: Sue Sue Sue!
By Spivonious on 3/21/2007 9:47:50 AM , Rating: 3
Does anyone buy music from the big labels anymore? It's 98% crap.


RE: Sue Sue Sue!
By rtrski on 3/21/2007 10:13:28 AM , Rating: 3
Ah, but that remaining 2%...(swoon)...is pure pyrite!

Don't resist the shiny. C'mon in, the pool is warm and the Kool-aid's fresh!


RE: Sue Sue Sue!
By darkfoon on 3/24/2007 10:39:38 AM , Rating: 2
Pool's closed due to HIV
(sorry, had to do it... I'm gonna get modded down)


File sharing closing record stores?
By DirthNader on 3/21/2007 10:18:04 AM , Rating: 2
"finding a record store still in business anywhere near a campus is a difficult assignment at best."

Because the record companies have sold their souls to the big box stores who sell their product as loss leaders to get consumers through the door, effectively killing the mom-and-pop record store.




RE: File sharing closing record stores?
By vanka on 3/21/2007 2:32:43 PM , Rating: 2
Or maybe it's because 99.9% of the students have an iPod and buy music on iTunes?


RE: File sharing closing record stores?
By oab on 3/21/2007 2:54:24 PM , Rating: 2
Which is entirely not true, because if you ask someone who goes to school, most of them will download music, or if they still buy cds, its because they "try before they buy."

However, near my university (north of the border), there are 6! Record stores within walking distance of the campus, excluding the Best Buy that just opened up next door, making the total 7.

2x HMV
1x Sunrise Records
1x Music World
1x Sam the Record Man
1x Play da Record (dance/trance/electronica/etc.)


By vanka on 3/21/2007 3:51:11 PM , Rating: 2
Well my friends and I are all college age - so I like to think I know what's going on. I find that people aren't downloading as much anymore; when Napster first came out people were leaving their computers on 24/7 filling their hard drives with music. Now mostly they share the music the old fashioned way - with a cd burner. But a cd or a $20 iTunes gift card is still a popular gift.


By mindless1 on 3/22/2007 8:09:11 AM , Rating: 1
Actually no, it's just a blatant made-up, self-serving LIE.

The truth is, many of these campus-local businesses have short lifespans, but many do still exist. It is not difficult and the moment someone makes fictional bullsh!t statements like that it is time to show them the door because they only care about deception to try to get what benefits them the most.


and making drugs illegal...
By kattanna on 3/21/2007 4:43:13 PM , Rating: 2
stopped all the college kids from using them too




RE: and making drugs illegal...
By othercents on 3/21/2007 5:03:21 PM , Rating: 2
NO don't take my drugs. If the RIAA take my drugs I'm going to have to boycott music.

Other


record store?
By inflames99 on 3/21/2007 1:09:58 PM , Rating: 2
hard to find a record store in business? theres a sam the record man right next to the libray building on my campus. seems to do very well




Offline
By kristof007 on 3/22/2007 1:03:50 AM , Rating: 2
I think offline file sharing is pretty big. I live in a dorm which is hardwired and has shitty wireless at best. So needless to say everyone is plugged in. As I type this there is about 15 people (I've seen as many as 30) online at the same time in my ITunes shared music window. So you just grab your pick of OurTunes or MyTunes redux or whatever you want and you have an assortment of 30,000 or so songs right there. Of course sometimes you still need that occasional song from LimeWire or something.




ah the days...
By edge929 on 3/23/2007 5:05:50 PM , Rating: 2
I was in college at a major state univeristy only a few years back during the proliferation of the interent and file sharing. I remember right before Napster, during it, and of course after. Everyone on my dorm floor used that thing like it was the only source of water in the world. Being on the university's T1 and WAN made sharing VERY fast. Eventually 2 com. sci students made a web search that only searched the campuses WAN. And that was my freshman year. As the years went on and the average Joe (read: business majors) figured out that they too could get free music, we heard through the grapevine that some students, the ones with multiple servers with music, got hit with lawsuits. Some went down, others popped up.

My biggest gripe about "stealing" digital info, whether it's music, movies or games is that if I ONLY had an option between buying it and not buying it, I would ALWAYS choose the latter, so if I had a third option, get it for free, why not? Keep in mind, this is coming from yet another computer porgrammer who takes pride in his work and does hope it sells well. I would rather have someone use my stuff and not buy it, rather than not use it at all. I'll bank on the fact that if he likes it enough, he'll buy it for the sole reason to see more good software come out of my company.




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