I have mixed feelings about file sharing in regards to music. Mostly, i think it's a positive because it can encourage record sales the way music videos do. Also, i see no harm in downloading a single or two from an artist. What i don't appreciate are people who download entire albums and burn them onto a cd; that's outright theft. I can understand the record industry being upset at the thought of this. However, they have gone way too far. With this move,they come off as callous, and greedy. Check this out;it really is unbelievable. http://nytimes.com/2003/05/04/business/04MUSI.html
My son has downloaded a 1000 songs. He never put them on cds. He has this wireless thing that can take the songs that are download from the computer and transfer it to his tv and sterio. The list of songs flash on the screen you can click on the song you want to hear and hear it through his sterio. Is that better then putting it on a cd?
That's a very dangerous game, if the record companies want to play it. If a program or trojan horse does something to someone's legitimate work, you can count on lawsuits. And eventually, they're going to upset the wrong bunch of computer geeks, and all hell is going to break loose.
I'm not comfortable at all with some of the anti-downloading programs mentioned in the article. I think they're too invasive (as the link mentions, not all of them will end up being legal, and some that are will not be used), but I don't download music at all, so that particular issue doesn't affect me-yet. Of course, if/when they step into the arena of stopping folks from downloading videogame-related software (like patches that allow American PS2 owners to play import games), then I'll be up in arms. Haven't done that yet, either, but it's much more likely. But I don't understand why you "see no harm in downloading a single or two", but condemn downloading the entire album. The artists/record companies/whoever own the material, and the difference is one of degree, not of kind. The idea is, whoever owns the material isn't being compensated for that ownership when you download it. Not sure why it matters how many or few tunes you take, or what format you ultimately use to hear them.
I've downloaded music, and made CD's from it. 99% of it falls into one of these: 1) I've got the LP and it's not worth getting also on CD. I recently downloaded "Go Down Gambling" by Blood, Sweat and Tears and I have the LP and I know that it is the only good song on the album. I already got gypped by paying full price for the LP and I don't feel like I'm stealing by getting the digital song this way. 2) I've got the CD and I'm too lazy to figure out how to make mp3's from a CD 3) I want a single song and I'm not about to spend $15 for a cd - for example, any song by Chicago - I know that any time they did a decent song they'd do a double album and fill it with junk. I don't have every LP they did because I'd have a huge pile of worthless stuff. 4) I hear of something popular and want to hear it but I'm fairly sure that it's junk - for example, songs by Buckethead. If it's not junk I buy a CD. I haven't bought any by Buckethead. I got ripped off enough in the LP era and I don't feel guilty that I'm not still paying full price for one or two good songs.
Re: Re: What is this crap? I know this isn't everyone, but i don't see any harm in dowloading a couple of songs ( i have around 80 assorted mp3's)becuase it normally leads to me buying the album. Some one will tell me to download a song because they think i might like it. I dl it, and if i like it, i normally get the cd, especially if they are a small band. I think it is different for people to dl the whole album and burn it becuase that is a product. Once people have the whole cd, of course there is no need to go buy it.
This is what cracks me up. They make a fortune from people who purchased the LPs and the CD (plus the cassette in many instances). The record companies don't have any problems charging people several times over as technology changes, but when technological changes cost them a few bucks... The bottom line is that they must adapt. The going to a store and spending $15 on a physical product model is insane.
All I have to say is screw them. All this time they have screwing consumers and now consumers outsmarted them by far and they don't know what to do. I am glad that people do not have to spend 15 or 20 bucks for one song anymore. I think it encourages artists to be better. I don't know about you people but if I like an album I would buy it, but if I like one or two songs in that album, I am not going to buy the whole thing. They should get used to that.
Maybe the will stopping making CD's with one good song and 12 *hit's. Also Cd's that aren't available. The Walkmen took almost a year to get here and I only found 1 copy. Even record producers now the BS about only having 1 or 2 good songs and the reason they download them.
The bottom line is this: the pirates will always be one step ahead of the anti-pirates. Simple as that. There are countless anti-piracy measures in place for software, but they have all been cracked. Piracy will always exist. Thank God.
If record companies ever try to implement this policy of attacking PCs they will face a HUGE backlash. I could see the majority of music buyers ceasing to buy music from major labels completely. What about the person who gets their computer fried? Since when is it up to the record companies to enforce the law and not the government? Is there some clause in copyright law that allows them to exercise some power in enforcing the law?
Wow, thats just insanely dumb. If the RIAA should have learned anything by now its that the hacker dudes are alot better programmers than whoever it is that they hire for this stuff. Escalating this will just cost them lots of money, and may get some music execs banks accounts looted, credit cards maxed out, etc.
I totally agree. There are a lot of anoymnous hackers out there who are way smarter than the programmers in these companies. People would find something against it as usual. Besides like scd84 said there would be a huge backlash and it could be the end of some of these record companies.