The RIAA Armageddon has begun

But what about stuff that you burned yourself from CDs/LPs? Or would it just indescriminantly delete that?

they want you to buy from itunes etc not rip your own cds. They want you to buy it twice.

How would such spyware determine what mp3's/mpeg's a user has downloaded and what ones he's ripped himself for personal use?

This is the biggest problem, and perhaps the scariest. What if they took this method:

"Any authorized content needs to have this encrypted code embedded in the file. The RIAA and MPAA both mandated this code in all of their products, therefore, if your binary file does not have the code, it could potentially be an illegal file."

It would be one more step towards eliminating the freedom of production that the internet has democratically given to the entire world. The solution, of course, would be to dump the internet before it becomes something like cable TV, and go underground yet again. I bet there are plenty of hackers ready and willing to work on such a system.

pfunkboy OTM. You bought the LP, you bought the cassette, you bought the CD, why the hell aren't you buying the MP3?

I'm sure hackers would figure out a way to delete the spyware in the first place.

Yeah, I rip a lot of vinyl to my computer. Are they saying that any file not encoded with these RIAA codes are considered illegal?

Well, that's my paranoid dystopian conspiracy theory. I think ripping an LP is safe by today's standards.

That sounds like what they are saying.

I mean I don't see how the spyware could work any other way.

I may be totally wrong ripping an LP. *google search*

I'm pretty sure it's considered Fair Use.

Actually I'm wrong. The RIAA does NOT consider that Fair Use. But they also haven't taken anyone to court over it. I can't imagine they'd win.

I'm sure playing the Beach House album this afternoon with my front door open also violates Fair Use. Frreal, eff these guys.

RIAA vs. Diamond has mostly settled that, I think?

http://cyber.law.harvard.edu/is99/RioSpaceShifter.htm

xp

This is pretty telling:
http://s3.amazonaws.com/infobeautiful/selling_out_550.png

itunes/amazon artist rates are insane.

sorry, too small, the big image is here:
http://www.informationisbeautiful.net/2010/how-much-do-music-artists-earn-online/

Basically you need to sell over 1k albums a month in physical CDs or mp3s via iTunes, Napster, or amazon in order to make minimum wage. And if you get 4 million plays on Spotify then you still won't make minimum wage.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/12/28/AR2007122800693.html

RIAA doesn't believe that case actually happened.

"Sony BMG's chief of litigation, Jennifer Pariser, testified that "when an individual makes a copy of a song for himself, I suppose we can say he stole a song." Copying a song you bought is "a nice way of saying 'steals just one copy,' " she said." This is just crazy!!! Are they saying we only pay for the right to listen to the music we have bought, but our ownership of the music ends with our ears?

Yes.

Yes, you can't even let your significant other listen to the album with you.

next step of having to pay monthly fees to renew yr mp3s, can't wait.

Now that all music can be converted to a practically non-physical object by even an 8-year-old kid, is there really anything pointing to a future for the RIAA beyond Orwellian info surveillance?

The only rationale they can offer is that pirates are "hurting the artists" but please take a look at the above chart to see how well the legitimate industry treats those same artists.

let's also be fined for whistling the tune we heard on the radio. a lot.

Why stop there? How about paying royalties when you get an earworm?

i already do. sadly for all concerned the royalty-paying is all in my head.

Has there ever been a good, in-depth comparison of the RIAA since 2000 versus the film industry freaking out over videocassette in the early 80s? I'd be really curious to see a side-by-side to see what steps were taken that lead to wildly different results.

RIAA is going to be non-existent within 20 years, is my prediction

in-depth comparison of the RIAA since 2000 versus the film industry freaking out over videocassette in the early 80s?

these aren't even remotely comparable scenarios, sorry

"Sony BMG's chief of litigation, Jennifer Pariser, testified that "when an individual makes a copy of a song for himself, I suppose we can say he stole a song." Copying a song you bought is "a nice way of saying 'steals just one copy,' " she said." This is just crazy!!! Are they saying we only pay for the right to listen to the music we have bought, but our ownership of the music ends with our ears?

afaik, the riaa has always taken this position. they do so not because they intend to prosecute anyone for "committing the offense"(they've said they wouldn't prosecute someone for ripping an MP3 version of something they already own). they do so to avoid waiving other legal theories over which they would prosecute someone for "committing the offense."

hydrapower

is it just me or do these figures indicate that any musician wishing to make a living making music should just stop recording? there's no point in it. nobody thinks it's worth anything. if you want to increase the value of something, choke off supply. make a living via live performances and commercial/product placement recordings

these aren't even remotely comparable scenarios, sorry

Um, I would say that two industries dealing with new technologies that have a dramatic impact on the distribution of their major products are somewhat similar.

nah. the scale is completely different, and is the key thing.

Well, yeah, the scale is a big difference. I'm not saying the two situations are exactly the same, but I still think it would make for an interesting study.

well the film industry just took a page from the music industry and reacted by upping the product "quality" (ie, DVDs are better than VHS! "the quality is AMAZING!"). So as people replaced their tapes and records with CDs in the 90s, so people replaced their VHS copies with DVDs in the 00s. Except now DVD sales are tanking, and everyone's streaming/downloading TV and movies - and as filesharing of those media get easier, the film/TV industry will face the same problem the music industry has. I think the only real difference that they have to console them is their advertising revenues, which are deeply entwined with the media in a way that they never were with the music industry.

eventually everyone in these industries is going to have to accept that turning all their property into ones and zeroes was probably the stupidest, most short-sighted policy imaginable.

I'm not sure there was another option. LPs aren't a good long-term solution either.

CDs were a totally pointless product. I don't accept their "inevitability", especially given how shitty 80s CDs sound.

how long term is long term? LPs will reportedly survive a century

I think his point is that with the rise of the internet, demand for cultural content would have gotten everything converted to a digital format eventually. Of course, CDs helped to actually furiously accelerate this conversion process.

so at best, even if there were no CDs, this would have just delayed the inevitable.

(said hypothetical delay might have worked in the industry's favor though, because it might have bought them time to develop and nurture alternative revenue streams)

eventually everyone in these industries is going to have to accept that turning all their property into ones and zeroes was probably the stupidest, most short-sighted policy imaginable.

― I won't vote for you unless you acknowledge my magic pony (Shakey Mo Collier), Thursday, April 15, 2010 5:04 PM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark

the hell? more music is available more easily to enjoy in more different ways than ever. it's great! if it drives "the industry" into the ground, boo hoo

"CDs were a totally pointless product. I don't accept their "inevitability", especially given how shitty 80s CDs sound."

Man LP purist sure are focused on CD sound from three decades ago.

"I think his point is that with the rise of the internet, demand for cultural content would have gotten everything converted to a digital format eventually."

Yes, music was going to be packaged digitally and the size/convenience of that product was inevitably going to supercede early formats was my point. I was also thinking of the cost/eventual scarcity of petroleum for vinyl production as well.

Didn't realize how shitty iTunes rates were for the artist. Bought a local singer-songwriter's album today, I should have just pirated it and handed her a fiver at her next show.

I'm not really complaining (altho there are a lot of side effects of these industries' collapse which are unfortunate). I meant it was a stupid, short-sighted policy FOR THEIR INDUSTRIES.

xp

if you want to increase the value of something, choke off supply. make a living via live performances and commercial/product placement recordings

fwiw Courtney Love (!!!!!) basically said this a few years ago.

Man LP purist sure are focused on CD sound from three decades ago.

nah I think MP3s sound like shit too