Posted on 02/01/2006 8:30:17 PM PST by okstate
Nettwerk Music Group, based in Vancouver, has joined forces with a Texas family after an American recording organization launched a lawsuit against the family for illegally downloading songs.
Nettwerk, Canada's largest private record label, has offered to pay for the Greubel family’s legal fees and any fines they might incur because of a lawsuit brought by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
“Suing music fans is not the solution, it’s the problem,” Terry McBride, CEO of Nettwerk, said in a statement. “Litigation is not ‘artist development.’ Litigation is a deterrent to creativity and passion and it is hurting the business I love.”
Nettwork represents many successful Canadian artists such as Avril Lavigne, the Barenaked Ladies, Sarah McLachlan and Sum 41.
The Greubel’s computer has more than 600 songs. The RIAA is suing for $9,000 US ($10,300 Cdn) for nine specific songs, including Avril Lavigne’s hit Sk8er Boi. It said it would accept half that amount from the Greubels if they settled soon.
The Greubel’s plight came to the attention of Nettwerk after their 15-year-old daughter Elisa wrote to rapper MC Lars, another Nettwerk star. She praised him for the track Download This Song, which contains lyrics such as, “Music was product, now it is a service/ Major record labels, why you trying to hurt us?”
In her letter to MC Lars, Elisa wrote: “My family is one of the many seemingly randomly chose (sic) families to be sued by the RIAA. No Fun. You can’t fight them.”
Nettwerk has hired Chicago lawyer Charles Lee Mudd Jr., who has defended more than 1,000 people against the RIAA since the organization started filing lawsuits in 2003. Mudd admits most of his clients settle because they can’t continue paying legal costs.
“I believe the RIAA’s approach is wrong,” Mudd told MTV.com. “I think they’re misusing the copyright laws, which were designed to be used more as shield than sword.”
The RIAA insists those breaking the law must face the consequences.
“Theft undermines the ability of the music companies to invest in the new bands of tomorrow and deprives labels, songwriters and musicians of their hard-earned royalties,” said RIAA spokesman Jonathan Lamy.
David Greubel calls it a “David versus Goliath” situation and says he’s grateful for McBride’s help: “Thank God for people like him.”
Let "Artists" make $$$ the ol' fashioned way - live performances.
And let the middle man die.
“Theft undermines the ability of the music companies to invest in the new bands of tomorrow and deprives labels, songwriters and musicians of their hard-earned royalties,” said RIAA spokesman Jonathan Lamy.
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"Theft undermines the ability of the music companies to charge outrageous prices for old-technology discs .....
That is exactly the reason I refuse to buy ANY cds from any artist. I will buy merchandise from the bands but im not going to fund these pricks.
I know a guy who runs a band, right? He's decided that P2P downloading is simply a fact that will not go away, and he doesn't dislike it. So to hell with printing and distributing CDs; he lets Napster, Limewire, and Kazaa do that for him. His band makes money from the things that artists normally make money on: shows and merch.
Can't stand the RIAA.
Sorry but I gotta speak out here. I worked for twenty five years as a producer, manager and small a label owner. I retired in 2001. At that time I had a comfortable but not large income from royalties paid on copyrights that I either owned outright or owned a piece of. Throughout my career I often would forgoe immediate payment in return for long term interests in the copyrights. I did this based upon an intellectual property system of laws that was hundreds of years old and was part of a proud tradition of creative people being paid for their creations. Further I may note that the protection of copyrights is even enshrined in the US constitution.
Shortly after downloading began I watched my income plummet. It is now bringing in one tenth of what it should bring in. To add insult to injury I can go online and see thousands of people offering my copyrights for free. Often they brag about how generous they are or how they are truly helping out the cause of music.
If this continues the incentive to make great recordings will be a thing of the past. As for the arguement that bands will just make their money live, ok, when your 65, go on tour, put on a high energy show no matter what you state of health, or motivation or inspiration. Soon movies and books are next. Would you do your job if there was no paycheck?
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