Verizon Must Reveal Internet Song Swapper

[Duckman]

Here is an update on this issue.

Cnet just posted this afternoon. The fight is looking good for the Recording Industry. :angry:

[Niagara_Paul]

Originally posted by Duckman@Feb 7 2003, 10:08 PM
Here is an update on this issue.

Cnet just posted this afternoon. The fight is looking good for the Recording Industry. :angry:

It's interesting to think that if the cops wanted to put a tap they need a judge to sign the document. But with Big Music all you need to do is sic your lawyers on the ISP. Talk about a travesty of justice.

The beauty of all this is that for every one software company they close down a whole bunch will show up.

They can't track down every single file distributor, so why are they even bothering.

Personally, I can't wait to hear how low CD's sale are for this year, people are finally sticking it to them.

[whatsurpointnow]

I guess I am old or stupid, but I don't understand the issue.

If I buy a cd, I own it. I can do what I want with it. I can copy the cd to tape, or remix to another personal cd, I can rip it to a mp3 or whatever for personal use. I can give it away, loan it to a friend or sell it. All those activities are legal.

It is not legal for my friend to copy the cd and give it back or vice versa. So, I don't break the law. Not because I don't know how, or because I am afraid of getting caught. It is a matter of principle or, if you like, morals.

This issue is really all about theft of intellectual property. Whether it is software, music, movies or any other type of ip it is still THEFT!

Why do people piss and moan because it is getting more difficult to steal?

If someone used the internet to clear out your bank account simply because some company made the TOOLS easily available every single one of us would scream bloody murder if the DOJ didn't use every single tool at their disposal to track down the perpetrators refund as much of the money as they could and stop that illegal act from occuring again.

Yet because a single song is only worth a buck or two it is difficult to go after individuals who steal. hence the pursuit of ISP's, software companies and large scale high profile thieves.

Here is a question: How many of us work in companies or even industries whose very existence depends on the sanctity and security of intellectual property?

I don't work for the RIAA and in fact, I haven't bought an industry album in the last couple of years. I buy directly from local bands I like. I think the music industry is corupt, pig fat with bloated salaries that distort the cost of music and let the vast majority of great musicians die a lonley death.

The real phase change will come when we can easily pay for what we want and bypass the fat corrupt middleman!

popular ideas are not always right, and right ideas are not always popular.

[whatsurpointnow]

Hey, didn't mean to kill the discussion! Just thought I would throw out some provocative words and see if anyone can beat me into submission with logic and verbage.

[Niagara_Paul]

Originally posted by whatsurpointnow@Feb 21 2003, 06:31 PM
Hey, didn't mean to kill the discussion! Just thought I would throw out some provocative words and see if anyone can beat me into submission with logic and verbage.

Maybe it was when you used the dreaded initials RIAA that scared us off.
The problem is the recording industry seems not to want to deal with the problem. They are not coming up with a viable solution that will win people over. In fact their heavy handedness is ensuring people will continue to do what they are doing now. Even their solution which is a new system of downloading music is filled with problems. AOL just announced this new service that gives you unlimited listens for $8.00 a month. For the privilege of burning songs to a CD, you have to pay $18.00 a month and this is only 10 songs. Hardly worth it, I can't see too many people getting rid of their KAZAA programs for this one.
Do you remember the whole MYMP3.com? The company purchased a whole bunch of CD, something like 70,000 or so- and I could be wrong about the number. The concept,you use their "beam-it" technology to beam your cd into a jukebox at mp3. Thus you could listen to your music any time you want from any computer you want. Well, the industry heard it and went nuts, they wanted to sue for billions. They said this practice would encourage theft and piracy and would lead to the fall of western civilization as we know it.
The perfect model is found in the video rental industry, make it inexpensive enough that people won't be interested in copyright violation.

Just a few thought.

[whatsurpointnow]

I agree, the music industry has a BIG hand out palm up looking for money.

I like the video rental model. The challenge of course is there are no safeguards to protect the artists assets on the equipment currently in the market.

Remember when videos first came out and all the stink about copyright and protection? the big players forced a standard for copy protection embeded in the VCR prior to its introduction to protect copyrighted material. You may also recall that the RIAA tried to force security protocals on the computer industry when the cd came out. Thank God that one didn't fly!

I know that I am almost alone in not copying other peoples music and not lending mine for the same purpose.

I would like to gently point out the RIAA being heavy handed greedy and meanspirited doesn't mean they are wrong about both the morals of the issue and law.

[Niagara_Paul]

We could also add the stink and the lawsuits that flew when the first Diamond Rio came out. Then again, the RIAA also opposed the introduction of CD's. From this we can see that the entertainment industry has basically resisted all new forms of technology.
I heard about this one model and I think it has the best chance, have record stores burn cd's on the fly. You go to your local Towers or Wal-Mart and request 3 or 4 songs, you pay 50 cents per and walk out happy. The computer keeps the tab and sends out the right information.
Will this stop pirating, does anything? However here is where the economics of scale kicks in, make it happy and affordable for everybody and people won't want to steal.
If you want to add to "Reasons to Hate the Recording Industry" consider this, in Canada and I believe the US we all pay a levy on blank CD's and Cassette Tapes. The message is ' you're going to use this to record pirated material, so we might as well get the money'. What this does to the consumer is make them think, 'hey if I'm already be charged a levy for copying music, I might as well do it.' Nothing like a bitter consumer population to ensure the present situation will continue.
Is the Industry right, in a legal sense, yes. Are they ethically right? These people couldn't spell 'ethics' if you spotted them the e, the t, the h, the i, and the c.
:wacko:

[whatsurpointnow]

If you want to add to "Reasons to Hate the Recording Industry" consider this, in Canada and I believe the US we all pay a levy on blank CD's and Cassette Tapes. The message is ' you're going to use this to record pirated material, so we might as well get the money'.


Niagra PaulI am curious about this levy on cd's. I have never heard it. Can you explain?

[Niagara_Paul]

I can direct you to a story from
Wired News, it gives all the detail. As it says we pay a set amount per cd. It's supposed to help artists and the industy- yeah right. Read the article and get mad.
Although I should point out this is having no effect on the price of blank cd's. Just last week I bought 10 for $5.99 at Compusmart store here at the Falls.
If you read that article you will note that not one cent has been sent to any artists or composers.
If this wasn't enough, now they want to put a levy on everything, hard drives, flash memory- even though mp3's are not the primary function of these cards- usually its photography and programs. They are now simply greedy. I say to them, hey fight your own battles, don't turn the government into your private tax gatherers.

So follow the lead and get really mad. If it doesn't work, go to www.wired.com and in search type in :Canadians Burned By Blank-CD Levy .

cheers
:angry2:

[whatsurpointnow]

Oh those f&$#@%g ba#$%^ds! It almost seems like an urban legend, then I realize it is cornell univiersity law website. To me, this borders on criminal!

I am still not sure the tax in and of itself can justify theft. The amount of the tax on media is three percent of the initial media sale (wholesaler to distributer?)cost. maybe as low as 3cents a cd. But, I can see your line of argument much more clearly.

I will email my congresspeople and see if I can elicit a response.