Posted in Music, Random Musings, Technology
Music & Movie Industry – Showing Their Ass Again
Napster should have been the wake up call. The splash of hot coffee across the lap. The world of art and intellectual property was changed forever but the big media conglomerates thought they could put the rabbit back in the hat. They have spent the last 11 years trying but I think you could argue they have accomplished nothing tangible. As quick as they shut down one site another springs up like a weed somewhere else.
They have never embraced the digital age and what it means to their customers. They have become bullies and head bangers. They have tried to take away my right to make legitame back up copies of things I have bought. They have put spyware and software on my computers without my knowledge (I believe Sony’s spyware even crashed a few computers). They have tried to educate through guilt but almost no young person I have ever talked to is even vaguely aware that downloading music, books, or movies is illegal.
Don’t get me wrong. I think downloading intellectual property without permission is stealing. It makes you a thief (F. Paul Wilson recently wrote an article which sums this up quite nicely. Click and read). People can justify why they are stealing but it is justifying, making excuses, lying to yourself.
Anyone who has read my blog for any length of time knows how strongly I support artists and their creations. I want more than anything for this new digital world order to support them and let us continue to bear the fruits of their labors.
The problem is big media doesn’t really care about them or their customers. If they did they would have figured out by now it is not in your best interest to come off looking like you are a few cards shy of a full deck. I mean seriously the RIAA and MPAA actually sent a list of requests to the Office of Intellectual Property Enforcement which is nothing short of forehead smacking ridiculous.
They believe it is time for the Office of Intellectual Property Enforcement to install spyware on all computers. This would be mandated spyware put on computers before you purchase them. The spyware would then seek out and delete illegally obtained media. I hope you weren’t drinking anything when you read that. Like I would trust those bastards to get anything right. I have no doubt in my mind my entire legal music collection would be deleted and my computer locked up within minutes of it activating.
RIAA and MPAA also would like border guards to be given the job of searching everyone’s tech gear for illegal files. They want you to have to turn on your computers and iPods and flash drives and prove you haven’t broken the law. Not only do we not have the manpower to do this but I am not giving up one more speck of my personal freedom so I can prove I am not a criminal. This makes me want to throttle someone, at least then they would have a right to search me.
My favorite demand was the one which would turn the Department of Justice and the Department of Homeland Security into their own personal intellectual property cops. They feel they should be especially vigilant during times of new releases. It actually says that. Tells them to be all vigilant and stuff. We can’t have our blockbusters compromised. Get to work damn it.
There is more in their letter but these were my favorites. It is just further evidence that they really don’t have a clue. Their cluelessness costs their artists more than it costs them. They are still in business. They are still multi-billion dollar companies. This shit is all sliding down the hill and hurting artists. They need to pull their heads out of their asses and find a way to operate in the digital age. Educate in a way a young person understands. Stop acting like big brother and start looking for new ways to reach your audience. The rabbit isn’t going back into the hat, so you just might have to try a new trick. You might need some new magicians to help you through this tough transition. I would suggest Penn & Teller, I hear they are good at sniffing out bullshit!
>Hi Christopher,It's definitely case of old factory does not work in new world. Record companies' used to play the role of risk aggregators and controlled the only highly expensive method of producing music…now everyone has the ability to create music relatively cheaply (although not studio quality) and we have entered into an age of rapid creation and sharing via sites like Youtube, etc they are battling to catch up. And they are acting out of fear, so rather than figuring out new and exciting ways to work with system they are campaigning to take away people's civil liberties and a return to the old middle ages European system of guilty until you can prove your innocence…So that's my 2c worth…and I agree about art being worth paying for.