Using tax dollars to combat piracy

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#1

I just posted the article Using tax dollars to combat piracy.

The RIAA has asked the US congres for federal funding to combat the big problem of piracy. The RIAA said the additional funds are needed for investigations and cases.

Specifically, the RIAA…

Read the full article here:  [http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/3748-Using-tax-dollars-to-combat-piracy.html](http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/3748-Using-tax-dollars-to-combat-piracy.html)

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#2

Gawd damn bitch, that’s why you don’t let a female run for anything, they don’t leave shit alone. :r I bet you money if Hilary Rosen has a kid that kid probably listening to MP3’s right now. :4

#3

How’s about the government ask them for funds to deal with the noise pollution caused by their ‘music’?

#4

So, basically, they want to take away more of my money to take away my civil liberties? Hope it doesn’t get passed.

#5

Stop me if you’ve heard this one. Shawn Fanning, creator of Napster, Brad Templeton, chairman of the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Hilary Rosen of the RIAA died and went to heaven. There they stand before God who asks them to summarize their achievments. Shawn Fanning said “I created Napster and set in motion a movement to free information and trade culture across the globe.” God smiled and said “I’m very proud, my son. Please sit at my left side.” Brad Templeton said “I headed the EFF and defended digital pioneers and consumers from corporate and government harassment.” God grinned and said “My son, you truly deserve to sit on my right.” Hilary Rosen said “I’m the President of the RIAA. Are you going to get out of my chair or do I need to call Senator Hollings?”

#6

Hmm… let me see. The goverment wants to use my tax dollars to keep the fat cats in the music industry rich? How about using it to feed the hungry or pay teachers better?

#7

Regardless of what y’all think and say, the government and the media industry will not stop its efforts to combat digital piracy, especially since the primary arguments I hear on this website in opposition of any anti-piracy legislation is “the damn government is taking away our freedoms” and “damn companies are just trying to get richer”. This type of rhetoric isn’t exactly going to sway those in power, especially when it’s VERY obvious to most people that the proliferation of file-swapping services, cracked warez, and cd-protection-breaking-programs HAS reduced the demand for CDs and software. Anyone who posts that it hasn’t is extremely delusional. The only question is, how much potential business have they lost? And to simply reply “well, if they’re gonna make music CDs that expensive, it’s their fault” is simply not constructive at all. The way I see it, the government, in conjunction with the media industry, will continue to combat piracy through a two-prong attack: (1) increase research & development in media formats that make it difficult to either copy software or rip Mp3s, and (2) (in response to those who say, “hackers will always find a way around”) increase prosecution of offenders/hackers/distributors of illegally pirated media. Sure, they won’t get them all, but with every added prosecution and through stiffer penalties, potential offenders will find it harder to justify continuing their actions.

#8

Yes, I’m glad that the people who comment on this site don’t comprise the entire sway of opposition. Nevertheless, it is certainly not beyond reasonable doubt that sales are being lost due to piracy. Mittigating evidence includes the fact that UK music sales are increasing, despite the proliferation of online music. Regardless of this, it is hardly justifiable for the government to help an industry making billions from extorting pocket money from ten year old girls, in its quest to get that last percent from those vast profit margins. You must also remember that if a crime is committed by a large enough number of people, as piracy is, it is practically unpunishable. Whilst governments might target those selling thousands of counterfeit copies for millions of pounds, it does not bust into living rooms and confiscate the occasional home-burned disk.

#9

the111, It’s good to hear a response to my anti-piracy post that’s both non-inflammatory and based on some rationale. And you’re right–I would never expect the government to target the average mp3-downloading joe. Like I said, their efforts will always be focused on both securing the media & prosecuting bigtime hackers/distributors, etc. And you’re right in saying that there is SOME debate regarding the effect of piracy on sales. Still, I (along with most people that I know and work with) all agree that the easy access we have to mp3s has reduced any and all incentive to purchase CDs at retail. Sure, we will still purchase an occasional album that we simply can’t live without, but it’s those fringe purchases (e.g., those albums we buy for a couple of songs) that the industry is certainly losing. And while there is a certain unfairness (as many have posted) in making people pay for a whole CD for just one or two songs, that’s the business. If it’s not worth the purchase, don’t buy it, but it seems like people who post here feel that they have some entitlement to this music, which is simply wrong. As for the government helping the industry make billions at the expense of 10 year old girls, well, you know that’s a gross oversimplification. These billion-dollar companies are represented (and relied upon) by thousands of families, from the highly-paid CEO at the top, to the secretary, janitor, and even middle-income shareholder who has bought a stake in the company through his/her 401(k) plan. And it’s easy for everyone to say that the casual home copier doesn’t hurt anyone. Right now, that may be true. But the number of “casual” copiers (and swappers of mp3s) is growing at an exponential rate, and collectively their effect on our economy could eventually be disastrous. That’s what I’m afraid of. Our economy from time immemorial has been based on the production and eventual sale of goods/services, and this digital age has thrown it all out of whack. And I’m not certain that the outcome will be a good one. But that’s just my two cents.

#10

RIAA is just getting gaier!

#11

The record industry is trying to resist change. Instead of looking for ways to profit from this, they are trying to make their old business model work. if they want to make money off the ‘digital age’, they need to embrace it, rather than tell its children they are criminals.

#12

Living_Tribunal, You’re way off base mate. Nobody reading these boards should feel sorry for the recording industry or any of it’s employees (even the janitors) and certainly not support wasting tax payer dollars to help these leeching industries. The phone companies are struggling now because more and more people are replacing regular phones and modem lines with cell phones and cable/dsl lines. The market has changed and now these big businesses have to change with it. Same thing with media. For years they have held a monopoly (not as in one company, but by several companies working in unison) and participated in price fixing on CD’s. We all know it costs less to make a CD than an audio cassette yet they cost 2x as much. Technology reduced their costs and fattened their margins!!! Not to mention formats. It’s not exactly easy to find record players or 8-track players these days. People who bought these kinds of albums are encouraged by the changes of technology to RE-BUY these albums again on CD. To add insult to injury, the old albums still cost $15 or more because CD prices are fixed (even if it’s 30 year old music). The music industry controls so many things now it’s ridiculous. It’s impossible to get original works radio airplay because the music industry controls the radio stations and unsigned artists are squeezed out (except for rare exceptions). The streets of Nashville (and other cities) are full of talented artists struggling to make a living and be heard yet untalented, spoiled teen-aged girls (you know who I’m referring to) who get boob-jobs and wear revealing clothing are propped up by the industry singing songs they didn’t even write. Worse yet they (and the recording executives) make (and waste) more money than most of us will see in our entire lifetimes on this questionable talent. Technology is finally beginning to right a wrong that has gone on too long. It’s time for the music industry to change it’s business model. Hopefully as more people come to the computer to find and listen to music it’ll give a chance to aspiring artists out their to be heard and sold without the golden blessing of these evil recording companies. Everybody on these boards have said it again and again…we’ll pay for REASONABLY priced music from TALENTED artists, but no more will we buy these overpriced prop-up CD’s just so the execs can live like fat-cats. If it takes millions of people breaking the law to get this through the record exec’s heads, then more power to this peaceful protest!!! Boycott the RIAA!!!

#13

if you want to look at the economical effect of the changes of people downloading at a high rate songs and its cause on the economy, it wont be devestating. All it would do is change the economic scenario. Look how much money goes into food buying, petrol, and other consumerables. What will it change? Change the market from a Music buying lot to a computer buying lot. From buying Big home systems to portable players. Look at any micro-economics and how it spreads to the bigger field. As any decent accountant would suggest, its better to have a lot of small companies then 1 large one, its better for emploment and also for the economy as a whole. Technically it could be good to chake it up and make it better for the smaller companies to get a foot in the door, as they offer the weird stuff that people simply cant get without buying.

#14

Kain what you are describing is a cartel and i agree the music industry has become one

#15

Alright geezerz ! Yo - Kain - just wanna say dat I agree wiv everyfing ya said and (believe it or not) woz in da middle of writing vertually exactly da same fing. So instead, a big up to ya 4 being a 100 percent spot on geezer ! - nice one ! Laterz … . :4

#16

If a country wants to base its economy on something as nebulous as music or movies instead of “beans and bacon” then they deserve the unstable enviroment. Nowdays stars (music and film)are made not born and if the public don’t like them then its up the the people behind the promotion to cop the retail loss, not for the rich bastards to push up the price of media to make the consumer pay for the loss…Though its been happening time immemorial …I,quite frankly, grow tired of the fat cats using my little dollar to fund their whinging and whineing, whilst their dollars are offshore somewhere getting maximum return and putting minimum back into the economy…no Living_tribunal, there is not two sides to this story…the bottom line is more dollars not a better service or better music and films. No I don’t condone commercial piracy but taking away the rights of a few also takes away the rights of the many. poeple like “Hillary the Harpie” won’t raelize just how much rights have been eroded (worldwide) until she has to call on them for her own defense…I have to sympathy for these scavangers. they have no conscience, no morality…in a word ‘fuck’em’…:7