Downloads, Lawsuits & Money
Well it seems that Canadian artists aren't as interested in prosecutions as the Music Labels would have us believe.
I have to say, I have heard quite a bit from people I know about the morality of downloading. It seems a lot of people don't really see anything wrong with it. It's so easy, and there doesn't seem to be any good reason to think that people will get caught. And if recent court decisions, combined with Canadian Internet Service Providers (ISPs) resistance to the music labels attempt at getting at their info are any indication, then that wont change any time soon. And now with a bunch of major artists starting a lobby group to stop the prosecution of individuals it seems that may not change too soon (if at all).
But it got me thinking.
You see, I don't download. Why? Cause I'm christian and those who own the songs call it stealing. It's their songs, and if I am not willing to buy it on their terms, then I shouldn't buy it. And legally, morally and in the real world they are right. But....
I also know that the ones making the money aren't the artists. Sure they make money, but only after a WHOLE LOT of records are bought. The ones making lots of money are the record labels. And that is what irritates me most. Not that they make money, or even lots of it (google does that and I don't have a problem with them)... but that they claim that:
"creative people must be compensated for their intellectual property."
Please.
I mean if you want to protect your property, my all means do so -- but don't patronize us with lines about "artists" or "creative people". The reality is that only the Major Labels are really being hurt by downloading. Small artists are the biggest winners. After all, now they have a way of spreading their music, with little to no overhead. And if that's true, then more and more artists are going to skip signing with major labels, because there are doing just fine -- thank you very much!
In the end, although I don't rejoice about downloading (or shouldn't rejoice in anything that isn't good), I know that this is the best thing for the music industry, and especially small artists. The major labels will lose power -- not all of it mind you, since someone has to do some promotions of artists -- but more and more as time goes on. Because no matter what the legislation, or technology, all of them can and will be worked around*.
The Author
*Side note: I don't know why the big companies don't understand this basic concept, but if you can see or hear something electronically, then it can be copied. The only way that it could be stopped is if they prevented all capabilites of people to program computers, or hear/see the music/movie.
I have to say, I have heard quite a bit from people I know about the morality of downloading. It seems a lot of people don't really see anything wrong with it. It's so easy, and there doesn't seem to be any good reason to think that people will get caught. And if recent court decisions, combined with Canadian Internet Service Providers (ISPs) resistance to the music labels attempt at getting at their info are any indication, then that wont change any time soon. And now with a bunch of major artists starting a lobby group to stop the prosecution of individuals it seems that may not change too soon (if at all).
But it got me thinking.
You see, I don't download. Why? Cause I'm christian and those who own the songs call it stealing. It's their songs, and if I am not willing to buy it on their terms, then I shouldn't buy it. And legally, morally and in the real world they are right. But....
I also know that the ones making the money aren't the artists. Sure they make money, but only after a WHOLE LOT of records are bought. The ones making lots of money are the record labels. And that is what irritates me most. Not that they make money, or even lots of it (google does that and I don't have a problem with them)... but that they claim that:
"creative people must be compensated for their intellectual property."
Please.
I mean if you want to protect your property, my all means do so -- but don't patronize us with lines about "artists" or "creative people". The reality is that only the Major Labels are really being hurt by downloading. Small artists are the biggest winners. After all, now they have a way of spreading their music, with little to no overhead. And if that's true, then more and more artists are going to skip signing with major labels, because there are doing just fine -- thank you very much!
In the end, although I don't rejoice about downloading (or shouldn't rejoice in anything that isn't good), I know that this is the best thing for the music industry, and especially small artists. The major labels will lose power -- not all of it mind you, since someone has to do some promotions of artists -- but more and more as time goes on. Because no matter what the legislation, or technology, all of them can and will be worked around*.
The Author
*Side note: I don't know why the big companies don't understand this basic concept, but if you can see or hear something electronically, then it can be copied. The only way that it could be stopped is if they prevented all capabilites of people to program computers, or hear/see the music/movie.
posted by Selam at 11:35 p.m.
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