"Sing-a-song of Sixpence..."
Just a quick post tonight before I wend my weary way to bed. I was scanning the news and I found a report about the RIAA's ongoing battle against music piracy. It makes for some interesting reading.
For those who don't know about this one, it basically boils down to the Recording Industry Association of America's attempt to squeeze as much money as possible out of the music industry. For the last few years they've targeted their sights on users of peer-to-peer (P2P) software, arguing that thanks to file-sharing technology P2P networks are the primary source of music piracy. This has in turn led to 14,000 people being accused of illegal music-sharing and now face fines and/or criminal prosecution.
Now, I can understand why the RIAA would target P2P networks. I won't lie; I've used such software myself in the past and know first-hand how easy it is to download entire albums from such places. For those looking to make a quick profit, such software can indeed make it easy to compile a massive collection in days. At the same time, fans of pop-music can, at the click of a mouse-button, download the latest album by their favourite artist without having to pay a penny (other than ISP charges, etc). As an artist myself (writer) I can understand the desire to protect the financial interests of the bands that make the music. If only it were that simple.
Firstly, the RIAA isn't looking out for the bands. They're looking out for their own financial interest, pure and simple. The bands themselves are getting screwed by the music industry, even those who rallied against Napster a few years ago. According to industry claims, the dissemination of illegally copied music is hurting sales on a massive scale. Sounds like a fair claim, so I checked their marketing data (so you don't have to).
In the 2004 Yearend Stats, the RIAA nicely gives us a breakdown of shipped media for the last ten years. If you compare the figures for the last couple then there is a definite drop-off going on (though CD sales in 2004 were up from 2003). This is most noticeable when you compare the totals, where you see a decline in units shipped of approximately fifteen percent since 1997. It all does point to an alarming trend. But what of the revenue?
Well, since 1994, the Total Retail Value has changed by a little over five percent. Upwards, from $10.8m to $11.4m. Yep, that's right, the retail value of entertainment media in general since 1997 has increased despite a large slump in sales. The Music industry would have you believe that the increase in unit price - from $13.17 on CDs, $13.19 for entertainment media in general in 1997 to $14.93 per CD and $16.63 for general media in 2004 - is as a result of the slump, but couldn't it just as easily be the other way around? That the hike in price has caused the slump? I don't know, you tell me.
The other problem with targeting P2P networks is that it's so easy to fake who you are on them. The news report that started this rant lists defendants who attest that they don't know how to use P2P, or they've never heard the user-names before. And there are dozens of tales of children being prosecuted. Kids. WTF is the world coming to? I thought organised crime was illegal.
I won't spoil the story for you, but if you want to see just how nasty the corporate world can get, please read it. It's given me a whole new slant on the background for my series, and I think I may well have to refine my angle on the corporate future.
Please don't let corporate bully tactics beat you. If you're innocent, fight the bastards. If you let them scare you, they win. Their big corporate machine don't mean jack when it gets down to people, and if you've got the press on your side, as the people in the Wired News article have, you've got a damn good chance of winning.
On the flip side, piracy is still piracy, and I don't advocate it. If you hear an album you like, buy it. Buy it in a store sale, buy it in a second-hand store, or buy it a yard-sale, but buy it. The same goes for movies (VHS and DVD), books, games, software ... whatever. If you like it, own an original.
Sleep well Sleepsville. I'm off to bed.
For those who don't know about this one, it basically boils down to the Recording Industry Association of America's attempt to squeeze as much money as possible out of the music industry. For the last few years they've targeted their sights on users of peer-to-peer (P2P) software, arguing that thanks to file-sharing technology P2P networks are the primary source of music piracy. This has in turn led to 14,000 people being accused of illegal music-sharing and now face fines and/or criminal prosecution.
Now, I can understand why the RIAA would target P2P networks. I won't lie; I've used such software myself in the past and know first-hand how easy it is to download entire albums from such places. For those looking to make a quick profit, such software can indeed make it easy to compile a massive collection in days. At the same time, fans of pop-music can, at the click of a mouse-button, download the latest album by their favourite artist without having to pay a penny (other than ISP charges, etc). As an artist myself (writer) I can understand the desire to protect the financial interests of the bands that make the music. If only it were that simple.
Firstly, the RIAA isn't looking out for the bands. They're looking out for their own financial interest, pure and simple. The bands themselves are getting screwed by the music industry, even those who rallied against Napster a few years ago. According to industry claims, the dissemination of illegally copied music is hurting sales on a massive scale. Sounds like a fair claim, so I checked their marketing data (so you don't have to).
In the 2004 Yearend Stats, the RIAA nicely gives us a breakdown of shipped media for the last ten years. If you compare the figures for the last couple then there is a definite drop-off going on (though CD sales in 2004 were up from 2003). This is most noticeable when you compare the totals, where you see a decline in units shipped of approximately fifteen percent since 1997. It all does point to an alarming trend. But what of the revenue?
Well, since 1994, the Total Retail Value has changed by a little over five percent. Upwards, from $10.8m to $11.4m. Yep, that's right, the retail value of entertainment media in general since 1997 has increased despite a large slump in sales. The Music industry would have you believe that the increase in unit price - from $13.17 on CDs, $13.19 for entertainment media in general in 1997 to $14.93 per CD and $16.63 for general media in 2004 - is as a result of the slump, but couldn't it just as easily be the other way around? That the hike in price has caused the slump? I don't know, you tell me.
The other problem with targeting P2P networks is that it's so easy to fake who you are on them. The news report that started this rant lists defendants who attest that they don't know how to use P2P, or they've never heard the user-names before. And there are dozens of tales of children being prosecuted. Kids. WTF is the world coming to? I thought organised crime was illegal.
I won't spoil the story for you, but if you want to see just how nasty the corporate world can get, please read it. It's given me a whole new slant on the background for my series, and I think I may well have to refine my angle on the corporate future.
Please don't let corporate bully tactics beat you. If you're innocent, fight the bastards. If you let them scare you, they win. Their big corporate machine don't mean jack when it gets down to people, and if you've got the press on your side, as the people in the Wired News article have, you've got a damn good chance of winning.
On the flip side, piracy is still piracy, and I don't advocate it. If you hear an album you like, buy it. Buy it in a store sale, buy it in a second-hand store, or buy it a yard-sale, but buy it. The same goes for movies (VHS and DVD), books, games, software ... whatever. If you like it, own an original.
Sleep well Sleepsville. I'm off to bed.
[Post a comment]