Kazaa! Take That!

[Mister Wright]

I don't know if anyone picked up on it, but yesterday Kazaa were found guilty of illegal music file sharing. I am hoping that this decision when appealed is upheld because it is a great day for the music industry. Now don't get me wrong, I hate 'The Man' like every other musician, but at least 'The Man' gives musicians some money and there are great organisations out there like APRA who look after the rights of musicians and their royalties. However Kazaa has raped the industry as the musicians get rewarded with nothing.

Let this be a warning to any future criminals who wish to steal music and distribute it free.

For once the law has got something right.

[FaaipDeOiad]

I have mixed feelings about the file sharing thing.

On one hand, I can see the argument that it deprives musicians in certian specific cases of part of their livelyhood. The Metallica's and Britney's of the world can frankly shut up about it, because they sell that many albums and have that much control over their contracts that they don't lose anything of significance, but in some cases with smaller bands with specific, smaller audiences, it can be a problem. It can also be a boon because it allows bands to get exposure they might not otherwise have.

On the other hand, music recording is a multi-billion dollar industry, in which the artist takes only a (relatively) small percentage of the profits because of what amounts a monopoly over distribution. If you want someone to blame for the hardships of smaller scale musicians, you can look at the recording industry itself and the people who control it, not at fans who download music because they like it and don't want to pay through the nose for a CD, or for that matter simply can't find it because record stores in many areas have such a limited range.

Two sentences removed in an attempt to keep the thread open. There is a telescreen behind the picture frame.

The way people go on about it (downloading music) as if it is an act of incomparable evil is pretty ridiculous considering how badly recording artists get ripped off by the people who distribute their music.

[Slow Love™]

Faaip, I agree with much of what you say, but I would rip out most of your third paragraph, 'cause otherwise I think the thread may get locked.

Dunno if we'll get to talk about this much anyway, but I wouldn't mind saying something on the issue when I've got a bit more time. I also wanna see if I can find a great article Courtney Love wrote on the conduct of the record companies and this subject.

[Dasa]

I don't know how much Kazaa and the like actually affect the smaller independent musicians and the like...I find that with the sort of music I listen to, you can't even find it on Kazaa and it's easier (and involves less guilt) to just buy the CD. File-sharing programs are generally only good for mainstream pop - and these artists, as Faaip said, have little to complain about.

[FaaipDeOiad]

Faaip, I agree with much of what you say, but I would rip out most of your third paragraph, 'cause otherwise I think the thread may get locked.

Dunno if we'll get to talk about this much anyway, but I wouldn't mind saying something on the issue when I've got a bit more time. I also wanna see if I can find a great article Courtney Love wrote on the conduct of the record companies and this subject.

Done. I've not had much experience here with discussions about music piracy, I didn't realise mentioning it would get a thread closure. Confirmation from a mod perhaps?

And yes, that Love article is excellent. I heard Jello Biafra (of Dead Kennedys fame) make some excellent points on music piracy once as well, discussing the potential positives and negatives for independant and small-label musicians.

[SupaFreak2005]

p2p will live on!!! die you good citizens!!! long live camelot!!

[Mister Wright]

FaaipDeOiad - There is a difference between listening to a song and liking it and legally downloading it if you don't want to buy the entire album and file sharing songs that you haven't bought to other people who haven't paid for them. I am more than happy for itunes etc to offer people cheaper single songs then the overpriced cds, but when it is all free and pretty much illegal - that is wrong.

[FaaipDeOiad]

FaaipDeOiad - There is a difference between listening to a song and liking it and legally downloading it if you don't want to buy the entire album and file sharing songs that you haven't bought to other people who haven't paid for them. I am more than happy for itunes etc to offer people cheaper single songs then the overpriced cds, but when it is all free and pretty much illegal - that is wrong.

I don't see how legal downloads are relevant to the debate really, because they are controlled by record companies and cost money anyway.

[Nnanden]

Awesome result. And yes Kyle, finally, the law has got something right!

[andyc]

I remember reading a quote from Moby about this that said something like "If someone chooses to download any of my songs from the millions on the internet, then I'm honoured."

I agree with Faiip that it means nothing to the big artists, but does mean quite a lot to the smaller ones. That said, the prices of music is pretty stupid, and if you can download songs from iTunes at discounted prices, why can't you get CD's at a fraction of the price that they're at now?

Really, it's hard to know who to side with. Sometimes, it's the only way to hear any music. When in China, you had two choices when it came to music- go onto the streets and buy a pirated CD, or go online and download pirated songs. And normally, if I heard a few songs I liked, I'd make a note to buy a CD of it in Sydney. If I heard one song I liked and the rest were tripe, then I wouldn't buy it, which in my opinion is the musician's fault for releasing bad music. There are people who will download thousands of songs, however, and that is pretty wrong. But I find it ironic that people suggest using iTunes and the like when it's not available in most countries, as far as I know

[Linda]

lol

[andyc]

So Kyle, how much money have the Ramjets lost because of Kazaa?

Seriously though, wouldn't you be happy if a few of your songs got online? People could hear some of your music and then show up to a show.

[cameeel]

If the record companies were to lower the price of CD's, then they easily sell at lot more copies. It's the same with DVD piracy, $30 is far too much for a movie, so people pirate them. If the price were lowered to say, $15 dollars they would sell a hell of a lot more DVD's then they do now, until they end up not losing any money at all. THe same goes for music, $25+ is a lot for an album, particularly when you're unlikely to enjoy every song on it

[Nnanden]

So Kyle, how much money have the Ramjets lost because of Kazaa?

Seriously though, wouldn't you be happy if a few of your songs got online? People could hear some of your music and then show up to a show.

...they are online.

[FaaipDeOiad]

...they are online.

I'm guessing he means being freely circulated on Kazaa or soulseek or whatever.