The digital age is upon us, whether major record labels like it or not. While few companies have attempted to revamp their cd sales by including extra content like DVD’s and posters along with the music, the majority have said ‘Fuck that,’ packaged the material the same way, slapped a 15.99 sticker on it, and expected people to continue buying albums out of respect for their favorite artist.
Most people don’t realize that artists hardly make anything off of album sales, so when you’re out there supporting whoever the fuck you like, you’re really supporting some old white guy that you’ve never heard of.
Don’t get me wrong, I like buying albums. But if I’m buying a major label record, I’m buying it because I want to have the actual CD, have the case, read the liner notes, etc, not because I think Nas is having trouble putting food on his table. Most of the time, the only cd’s I buy are from independent acts, hand to hand with the artist, because I know that 10 bucks is going directly in their pocket.
Anyways, despite music piracy becoming so incredibly popular and transforming into a seemingly unstoppable wave, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) is still trying to stand against the Tsunami and suing every person they can. The most common victims? College students. Great Idea, let’s sue people who have NO MONEY, for swapping their Godspeed You Black Emperor! Mp3s.
Well, the vast majority of these 30,000 people who have been sued have settled out of court, to avoid the huge legal fees and damages of a high profile case going against a large entity like the RIAA, who employ lawyers that will most likely destroy your face.
Harvard law professor Charles Nesson decided to get involved in the action once he was asked to represent 24 year old grad student Joel Tenenbaum, who was being sued by the RIAA. Tenenbaum was accused of downloading at least seven songs. He attempted to settle the suit for 500.00, but the RIAA refused and demanded $12,000.00.
I can’t even begin to express how fucking ridiculous that is. 12,000??? The fucking stock market crash really hurt, didn’t it, you fucking greedy assholes.
Nesson has since then decided to flex his Harvard sized brain muscles and take down the RIAA and their Digital Theft Deterrence and Copyright Damages Improvement Act, which allows them to sue illegal downloaders for $750.00-$30,000.00 for each infringement, and $150,000.00 for willful violation. He wants to get rid of this act because it allows a private organization to carry out civil enforcement of a criminal law, and the RIAA is effectively using the U.S. courts system as a low grade collections agency.
Charles Nesson gets mad props from me for this, and he’s completely correct. If “illegal downloading” is in fact illegal, then why the fuck are we being sued, and not charged with misdemeanors? I’m not saying the solution is to charge misdemeanors for taking a listen to that album before you decide to buy it, I’m saying the solution is for the RIAA to shut the fuck up and come up with something new and better to get their sales up.
Other people are doing really cool stuff, like selling CD’s of the live show that you just saw at the end of the concert. That’s awesome, and would surely boost sales. Throw some extra downloadable content on iTunes, which would cost campanies no duplication or packaging fees. Do something, aren't you guys smart? The longer you try to hold on to the past and sue people for downloading, the more people are just gonna get pissed off and not buy records just in spite of you. Adapt, or get the fuck out. And lets hope Nesson’s brain beats the shit out of your brain because if you ever try to come to my doorstep with some willful violation bullshit, it’s gonna be a lot more than brains getting the shit beat out of them.
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