RIAA's Rosen Sets Sights on ISPs

wired news ^ | 1.22.03 | Michelle Delio

[freepatriot32]

The Recording Industry Association of America wants to go after the companies that provide you with your Internet access.

Here are some of the printable reactions since RIAA chief Hilary Rosen presented the proposal last weekend, during which she said Internet service providers would soon "be held accountable" for money the music industry has lost due to file-swapping services:

It's stupid. Unethical. Illegal. Insane.

"Blaming ISPs for giving these hardened criminals the bandwidth for perpetrating their heinous file-sharing acts is akin to blaming the highway department for creating roads that are used by dope smugglers," said security consultant Robert Ferrell. "It just doesn't make sense."

[freepatriot32]

"There are a lot more voters downloading music then there are music company executives," Hayes warned. "If the RIAA was my client, I'd advise them to think this one through again."

exactly and those voters need to rethink reelecting anyone that voted yes for the dmca in the next election

[Support Free Republic]

SUPPORT FREE REPUBLIC! YOU'LL FEEL PROUD!
	Donate Here By Secure Server Or mail checks to FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794 or you can use PayPal at Jimrob@psnw.com
STOP BY AND BUMP THE FUNDRAISER THREAD

[Dimensio]

Rosen proposed a unilateral fee for all ISPs (passed on to subscribers) to cover the 'costs' of piracy. I wonder why no one has used the existing 'RIAA tax' on blank media as justification for piracy. Personally, I think that since I paid some money to the RIAA for my spindle of 100 80-minute CD-R discs (none of which I use for music), the RIAA owes me music in return.

I do hope that someone tries that defense and that a judge allows it, at the very least reducing damages claimed by the RIAA.

[HumanaeVitae]

Oh no! The record companies are going to go out of business, and take Eminem, Marilyn Manson, Limp Bizkit, Christina Aguilera and all the other associated morons over at MTV with them! Someone please stop me from not caring...

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

Exactly. What if a photographer, an artist, or a writer wants to file share their own products or a small band wants to give out their music for free. Why does the RIAA deserve a cut?

[wideawake]

Attention RIAA: Your free ride is over. You no longer monopolize recording technology.

Attention musicians: Sorry. You'll have to stop smoking crack and lounging around every day. You'll need to tour much more heavily now - you know, work for a living.

[weegee]

"The Recording Industry Association of America wants ..."

...more money. Whatever avenue they have to travel to get it.

Whether it is sending musclemen into bars to get a protection/licensing fee so that they can have the tv on (in case a tv ad with a song comes on) or going after the ISPs.

The RIAA collects money on behave of musicians. The more money they collect, the more they get. Got to keep that growth curve going up up up even if baby boomers are buying less less less.

[capt. norm]

Anyone who has worked in radio, especially during the 60's and 70's will tell you that these people believe that everyone can be bought out at some point, to achieve their desired results. I had one "promo" guy tell me that "everyone has a price and once you find that out, he's in your pocket".

Be it politicians, station management, they don't care...they live in a P.T. Barnum world.

RIAA is populated by the very people who brought us "Payola" back in the eraly 60's (slipping $$$ to DJ's to give their songs extra play and thus extra sales).

Meanwhile, the actual composers and artists who do the work get ripped off via fine print and weasel wording in their contracts.

[Bonaparte]

I sure hope Rosen steps up all these efforts. She's making enemies by the train-load and giving P2P the best advertising it could possibly have. Not surprising that France would respond so favorably to her Orwellian proposals.

[APBaer]

These people believe everyone can be bought...Be it politicians.."


*Believe* it???
They sure as Hell proved it!

[weikel]

everyone can be bought out

They're right.

[weegee]

Payola went on since the beginning of recorded music (and even earlier to sheet music).

Payola continues (in the 1970s it went to sex, drugs, and concert promotion as perks for the DJ or playlist coordinator).

It became a big deal when BMI had all the hits on the charts because ASCAP would record rock and roll.

Clear Channel today owns 1200 stations (dominating many markets), SFX (formerly PACE) Concert promotions, the exclusive contract to many civic performance centers, and possibly a portion of Ticketmaster. If Clear Channel wants to create a "hit" to send it through their entertainment machine, they can. Viacomm (MTV/CBS) owns many radio stations too (may be the second largest player).

The sad thing about payola is that it worked. The DJs got their song writing credits (which gave them kickback) on songs they never wrote and many payola cuts are still hits today (on moldy golden oldies radio). Dick Clark severed some of his ties to record company ownership after he was brought before Congress but he walked away scott free.

[weegee]

The more subtle way to funnel money (and benefit a single) was to just "write down" that the song was played. When Billboard and others looked at what songs were getting spins, they'd move up the charts without real radio airplay.