Why the Record Industry Doesn't Stand a Chance

Newhouse News Service ^ | Aug. 19, 2003 | JAMES LILEKS

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[chas1776]

Anyone who's been to Hong Kong knows the meaning of copywrite!

[xzins]

The Ten Commandments say, "Thou shalt not steal."

And if thou stealest the products of a man's labor, thou wilt bankrupt him so that he no longer has reason to labor in that field.

Recording theft will kill music, not just music companies.

[C210N]

Where do news groups fit into this issue?

Seems to me newsgroups, and I'm thinking of the binary groups here obviously, have been around well before Napster. The sheer volume posted daily to these groups is enormous.

I've not seen yet any mention of news groups in any article... is it small potatoes compared to the P2P apps. Clearly, getting downloads takes a bit more skill than P2P.

[Hodar]

I dispute the very claim that the recording industry is being 'hurt' by file swapping to start with.

New releases are down 30% from where they were 10 years ago. If you release fewer albums each year, the return from album sales will also go down.

New competition exists for that same $20 of 'disposable income' that did not exist 10 years ago. For $20 I can buy a DVD, a PC Game, Gameboy cartridge, or a CD.

We are in a recession (coming out of it right now, I hope)

And unlike every product on earth, the RIAA doesn't feel that music get's less valuable over time. Why is the Beatles 'White Album' still selling for $29?? Don't tell that it's due to 'advertising costs'.

[Bobby777]

Isn't there a new service where you can download a song for 99 cents? ... that seems fair and I believe it's more than a radio station pays when a song is played (anybody know out there?) ...

Pay-for-download music is the future I think and it's fair for everybody ...

[Orangedog]

Recording theft will kill music, not just music companies.

So no more Emenem, snoop-dog and 50 cent? I can live with that.

[El Conservador]

An there's a Spanish phrase that says:

"Ladrón que roba ladrón, tiene cien años de perdón"

Translation: A thief that steals from another thief has 100 years of pardon.

When you steal from thiefs like the RIAA, it's even morally compulsory.

[curmudgeonII]

There's very little that's worth downloading today.

[xzins]

Again, I'm not talking about the recording industry that you don't like, and forget about the artists that you don't like....just focus on the ones you appreciate.

How can they continue if they don't get paid?

[Orangedog]

One word...concerts.

[Orangedog]

One word...concerts.

[xzins]

A song becomes known and a group gets known. It develops a following and a bankroll. Some concert promoter is willing to risk money to have them play in XUY town.

Take out step one and two and ask yourself how likely it is that step 3 will take place.

[gathersnomoss]

The day the music died.

[xzins]

If it's one word....why'd you say it twice? :>)

[lelio]

But no one wants albums anymore. They want songs.

Bingo. iTunes gets that concept. Plus it frees up the artist to concentrate on those 2-3 songs that people actually listen to.

They'll sniff that the musicians should give away the product and make their money touring, which is akin to saying restaurants should give away food and make their money selling souvenir forks.

LOL!

[Hanging Chad]

Similarly, I still don't understand why the "arr-teests"
benefit everytime the "medium" changes. I purchased
"The White Album" (and many other titles) in vinyl, 8-track,
cassette, and CD. All of those "production costs" are not
repeated everytime the medium changes.

[xzins]

exactly.

a few get the point.