58 Comments
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2ive got a solution, don't buy anything represented by the RIAA and pirate it instead.... then no one will want to be represented by them and they will ***** die.
- TheTraveller, on 10/12/2007, -2/+4The Courtney Love article is from the year 2000... the NY attorney general does not subpoena the RIAA labels because they put pressure on iTunes, read the article again... the reasons are quite different. Anyway, this blog post is badly researched, ridiculously biased, and if you want to make a point against the RIAA, it does more harm than help. Lame.
- trialofmiles, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2"RIAA going after sites that have song lyrics and tablature?"
How did I know that bit of misinformation would be included in the list. It's not the RIAA, but the MPA and NMPA. Recording != publishing. - vuke69, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2thidranki -
The best part (well, most f-ed up at least), is that he already owned three out of the four movies that were downloaded by his grandson. - DrAtomicus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2How about we all do that permanently?
- jayf, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Courtney's rant is old and long but still relevant today.
Not much has changed, the RIAA has only become more evil.
There needs to be a major smear campaign that takes away the
RIAA's argument that piracy harms artists. The RIAA is the
pimp and the artists are the prostitutes, some of whom cannot
even sing. - Muddle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2The question is how do we, as consumers, end their existence? We need to quit giving any of these companies our nickel's and dimes's.
http://www.riaa.com/about/members/default.asp - Philotic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"In the recording industry, there are usually two copyrighted works involved:
The copyright in the musical composition, i.e. the actual lyrics and notes on paper. This is usually owned by the songwriter or music publisher.
The copyright in the sound recording, i.e. the recording of the performer singing or playing a given song. This is usually owned by the record company."
http://www.riaa.com/issues/piracy/penalties.asp
I hate the RIAA as much as the next guy, but there is too much of bias and misinformation floating around. A music artist owns the rights to the song just like a writer does to a book. But the author of a book never gets the rights to the cover art or anything else, just the words. The record company pays for the recording, it only makes sense for them to get the copyright on it. - zoltan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1i hope this gets like 10000 diggs
- thidranki, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1A kid's grandfather gets arrested after downloading only 4 movies? How do you not get arrested/avoid getting caught?
- stevec5000, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It's interesting that the RIAA has a squad of goons dressed like police raiding businesses selling indie label records in New York. I wonder what would happen if someone just locked the door and wouldn't let them in? I guess they could try to break in but a lot of homeowners and clerks have guns they might use in defending their homes and businesses. If would be kinda funny if someone shot them all huh?
That must be why they are doing it in New York where it's not legal to own a gun.
http://www.econoculture.com/m/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16&Itemid=1 - StatiK69, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1If I wrote a blog about something, can I post it on DIGG? Out of the blogs I've read today on here, this is a good read. Great rundown of the RIAA BS.
bigg digg - CaughtThinking, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I'll all for anti-RIAA propaganda, but come on, this was ridiculous.
How about something more than an email forward quality post.
digg-- if i could. - Pooavenger, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1where is the evidence? I know they are bastards but if you are going to make claims back it up.
- TheTraveller, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I agree, quit giving them your money and they have to change their policies.
What I meant in my earlier comment is that the subpoenas are not about 'pricing pressure' - it is normal in business that each side of a contract is trying to get the most out of a deal. The attorney general got active because there are signs that the 4 majors colluded, conspired in this. Or in other words, act as a cartel (a group of producers who enter a collusive agreement in order to raise prices and profits).
The RIAA labels still control 75-80% of music sales. I'm not from the US, but if laws there are similar to what they are here in Europe, this is not lawful behaviour.
http://news.com.com/N.Y.+subpoenas+Warner+Music%2C+rivals/2100-1027_3-6007656.html - DrAtomicus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Yeah, Courtney impressed me too.
Despite the blog's lack of sound editorial process, it brought attention to the very applicable Courtney Love speech. Awareness is key with matters such as this, and it's amazing that nothing has changed in 6 years, 'cept maybe a few names.
Apparently everyone complaining about blogg links on digg still buy $17 CDs and don't ask for change from the twenty dollah bill. - trialofmiles, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1With all this talk of Courtney Love, here's the obligatory nod to Steve Albini' s"The Problem With Music"
http://www.negativland.com/albini.html - Muddle, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1This has all been hashed and re-hashed for many years. For example: http://cryptome.org/riaa-secret.htm for you GNU/LINUX fans. Google “RMS RIAA” and you'll find hundreds of articles to read.
It boils down to, quit giving them your money! - SupaDawg, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"thewordwasgod" short attention span much? Thanks for your great contribution.
I love these things, I dont care how factual it is to be entirely honest, the RIAA is a sickening entity... all the bad PR they can get is good enough for me. :D - cambrown99, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Let's pick a week or a month to boycott the RIAA and supporting labels and only buy independent music directly from artists. Give it the "digg effect" in real life.
- trialofmiles, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1To address what you said, TheTraveller, the opinion article from bit-tech offers the same view as the blog post - that the subpoena has to do with "current and proposed pricing models." The article linked from that article (the one from Red Herring) also talks about the possible connection. I think at this point, the public doesn't know exactly what the subpoenas are about.
As for the rest of the list, it needs a bit of editorial review. I already pointed out the RIAA/MPA confusion.
Also, it could use some dates, otherwise it's tough to get a sense of when everything happened. - Cerberus047, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1i think that it was a very biased article and im not saying the riaa is good actually i hate the riaa but this is ridiculus they wont take us seriously if we pile a bunch of stuff together to get people to say ***** the riaa... i hate the riaa but i appreciate articles about why they are bad not copyed and pasted to get their point across thats almost as bad as cnn or worse ... fox news...
- neutrino, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I was surprisingly impressed by Courtney Love's speech
- wilf_brim, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Even if the Courtney Love speech was from 2000, her points on what happens to the artists (how you can be in a 4 member band with a 2 million dollar contract and still live in a hovel) is still reasonably pertinent (just substitute another P2P client or bittorrent for the words "Napster".)
- tmcleroy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1doesn't surprise me one bit
- TheTraveller, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1wow, that was an interesting read, steve. And I thought they were more liberal in NY
- battybattybatt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"This has all been hashed and re-hashed for many years. For example: http://cryptome.org/riaa-secret.htm for you GNU/LINUX fans. Google “RMS RIAA” and you'll find hundreds of articles to read.
It boils down to, quit giving them your money!
posted by Muddle (0) at 04:40 "
Of course that means no illegal downloading until a solution is reached. - battybattybatt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1"They had better take a step back pretty soon or they are going to be spending more and more of those millions on defending themselves against counter suits instead of their salaries."
The RIAA has absolutely no clue to the groundswell of students at major universities being backed by those same universities in what rumors to be the largest class action suit EVER filed against a government entity.
You wanna talk about breakups? Let's talk breakin up the RIAA - its not gonna be hard to do.
Hey , why not put Schools of Music in charge of what the RIAA is really supposed to be doing? - battybattybatt, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1How much of a CD sale does the RIAA actually see?
- trialofmiles, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1" 2) Yes, there was some information mixed in there about the MPAA.":
Who said anything about the MPAA? If you're refererring to my MPA comment, I'm talking about the Music Publishers' Association, not the Motion Picture Association. It's the MPA who have been in the news in regards to lyrics and tabs sites. - TheTraveller, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Just in:
U.S. Music Album Sales Down 7 Percent
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051229/ap_en_mu/music_sales - clayalvord, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1dude, i would have just dugg this for the great title!
- Grymjack, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1 Hey everyone, thought I would post my comment here as well. Since there seems to be some complaint about a lack of my editorial process I thought I would agree with you. There is not one editor/manager/PR person/handler/review process/etc that I am required to put my opinions through before I post them on my blog. I'm new at this (24 Dec), so if I violated some sort of etiquette I apologize. Please let me know what this violation was so I can avoid it in the future. The main motivator for this was, outside of a general dislike for the RIAA, the increasing number of articles I was seeing about RIAA abuses. I went to a number of news sources, filtered the articles, and put together what you read. A few other points:
1) "the NY attorney general does not subpoena the RIAA labels because they put pressure on iTunes" I live in NY and have been hearing much talk about this on the news and commentary shows. From what I understand, the NYAG subpoenaed them for pricing structure to see if there was "price fixing and collusion". The impetus for this was "After Mr. Jobs called the industry's leaders 'greedy', the gloves came off and real threats started to be issued.".
2) Yes, there was some information mixed in there about the MPAA. I consider the MPAA RIAA's little brother meekly following whatever big brother can get away with. As the RIAA goes, so do they.
3) I freely admit my bias against the RIAA and the DMCA. There can be no doubt about this. I just think that there is good reason for it. No small part of that reason being annotated in blog post links. BTW: Since CNN and Fox were mentioned, if you'll notice (outside of the register) the mainstream media seems to be steadfastly ignoring their antics, outside of the occasional AP wire release which never goes any further, and yes that's another bias of mine.
4) Courtney Love's speech was from 2000, but it was well done and still highly relevant. Whatever reputation she has you must admit (assuming she was the source) that she has a head on her shoulders.
5) "But the author of a book never gets the rights to the cover art or anything else, just the words. The record company pays for the recording, it only makes sense for them to get the copyright on it." ?????? I'm not seeing the connection here? The book publisher pays for the initial book printing as well? If the record company wants the copyright to the album cover art, more power to them. - ne0shell, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I have a very simple solution for this. I've had it with the RIAA and soon the MPAA. I wil NOT purchase any music CDs, go to a concert etc until the music artist get thier SS goons off our collective asses. It would be very good if everyone else would do this as well. Only a boycott will send the message they need to hear. If I want to listen to music I'll use my FM radio or one of the other free formats for music that may suck, but exist only to help them sell records; I just won't be buying any. I see no reason for people to hand the RIAA money with which they wage war on our rights and our freedom.
- rebrad, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Good summation of the RIAA and other like syndicates that regularly abuse others right in defense of their 20th Century practices. I think the RIAA has been energized by their ability conspire and abuse and will push their intimidation methods even further.
Congress and local politicians will get in line for their fair share of the booty and persecution of the weak will flourish.
Follow the money. Money talks and ***** walks. If you give them your money you're paying for your own abuse.
Do not patronize RIAA members. Listen to the radio, it's free and you can ignore the commercials.
Support the Independent Musician. They are really good and don't have to follow the "Approved Formula" that is imposed upon the RIAA peons. - ezweave, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Why isn't this front page news? Instead we read about the umpteenth XBOX 360 vs PS3 fan-boi conjecture comparo.
I have known of many bands who sell lots of records, but who are very poor. It's a repeat of what the record industry did to poor black artists in the 50s and 60s. The record industry infrastructure is good at paying itself lots of money for little to no real work. I wish more musicians would just blast them publicly. The idea of protecting an artists work is noble one, but the RIAA and record industry execs have turned what should be benificial to the artists into some kind of sick money making, indentured servitude vehicle. Those people are scum, plain and simple. - macrebel, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I think the following:
1) a website should be established which pinpoints locations the RIAA/MPA are operating in local areas.
2) systematically defame, attack and wage war against them one by one.
3) make 1/8 page flyers available with the website info and quick facts about what they are doing. Paper the hell out of the USA. Power to the people. - MadEnvoy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1http://www.riaa.com/gp/database/default.asp
Use their database against them. Make sure the "artist" you are buying isn't on it. - astrotrain, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1
The RIAA is getting really to big for their pants. One of these days they will bite off more then they can chew and find themselves in the unemployment line since nobody will purchase anymore music
that is associated with them.
RIAA = Real Immature And Anal - ehmjay, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1god i hate these guys! STUPID RIAA!
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1hilarious. didn't realize how much ***** the've gotten into.... downright bastards. The old guy and the $600,000 wtf is whith that? they should be beaten with CD cases, or brittney spears songs
- astrotrain, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1
"Listen to the radio"
Eh, Radio is dead... full of commercials, ppl trying to be "howard stern", or radio kill songs
(i.e. Kelly Clarkson song played 5 times within an hour). Philladelphia stations byte!
Rather blow down MP3s to my Mp3 Player and listen to them. No commercials, no gab, and
no overkilled songs (unless I choose so!). - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1NO DIGGS FOR BLOGS!!!! This is a blog. Post original stories. No Digg here.
- battybattybatt, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1From the RIAA site:
" Penalties of Piracy
The principle that the work that one has created belongs to the creator and should be controlled by you is as timeless as it is global. Around the world, this principle is encoded in law. "Copyright" is a term of intellectual property law that prohibits the unauthorized duplication, adaptation or distribution of a creative work.
In the recording industry, there are usually two copyrighted works involved:
The copyright in the musical composition, i.e. the actual lyrics and notes on paper. This is usually owned by the songwriter or music publisher.
The copyright in the sound recording, i.e. the recording of the performer singing or playing a given song. This is usually owned by the record company.
On the federal level, titles 17 and 18 of the U.S. Code protect copyright owners from the unauthorized reproduction, adaptation or distribution of sound recordings, as well as certain digital performances to the public. The penalties differ slightly, depending upon whether the infringing activity is for commercial advantage or private financial gain. Under U.S. copyright law, "financial gain" includes bartering or trading anything of value, including sound recordings.
Where the infringing activity is for commercial advantage or private financial gain, sound recording infringements can be punishable by up to five years in prison and $250,000 in fines. Repeat offenders can be imprisoned for up to 10 years. Violators can also be held civilly liable for actual damages, lost profits, or statutory damages up to $150,000 per infringement, as well as attorney’s fees and costs.
The online infringement of copyrighted music can be punished by up to 3 years in prison and $250,000 in fines. Repeat offenders can be imprisoned up to 6 years. Individuals also may be held civilly liable, regardless of whether the activity is for profit, for actual damages or lost profits, or for statutory damages up to $150,000 per infringed copyright. "
In other words, every single contract made by a record company and or music publisher that substatntially takes away form the original copyright holder (the artist and the writer) is in violation of Piracy and it is now time to PAY IT BACK with INTEREST you muther ***** greedy pigs. I dont give a flying ***** who you know.
- jshabad00, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1"Disabled women and single mothers representing themselves in court after being sued by RIAA."
?
How is this slimeball/stupid? - Grymjack, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0There are great sites out there like magnatune.com that try and provide artists with an alternative.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0The story about RIAA "SWAT Teams" and private searches (with warrants) in NYC is pretty alarming. It's hard to believe that the law tolerates that kind of action.
Coincidentally, the legal products for listening to music are actually pretty good quality, if not a bit overpriced. I'm listening to the legal napster right now (I pay $20 a year for it). - GLSmyth, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0Screw the radio, listen to podcasts - they're not paid to play certain songs.
- synystar, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1"yes ***** the riaa and ***** blongs"
...blongs. A blog that leaves the reader wondering if the author was high? - jiminoc, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1"NO DIGGS FOR BLOGS!!!! This is a blog. Post original stories. No Digg here."
its a ***** collection of original stories, shut the ***** up already if you don't want to digg it. -
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