I was watching TechTV "Music Wars" and they interviewed some of the people the RIAA sued.
Almost all of them said they didn't know it was illegal. I always assumed people at least KNEW it was illegal and did it for other reasons.
Thoughts?
Thats a good special by the way, and as usual, the Grateful Dead know what they're talking about.
i'm confused.
do the people WHO know you trade music on p2p know it's illegal?
do the people you know WHO trade music on p2p know it's illegal?
do the people you know you trade music on p2p know it's illegal?
of course everyone knows it's illegal. people who claim they don't know are just giving a silly rationalization. besides, ignorance isn't a prerogative for criminality.
Of course everyone's stupid, I've never met anyone who wasn't stupid in one way or another.. me included. However, file sharing is like speeding, everyone knows it's wrong, but most people do it anyway. Most people don't see the harm in speeding now and again and don't expect to get caught.
It's just human nature.
I fixed the typo in the poll
So much for the stupid comment.
Of the people you know WHO trade music, do they know its illegal?
About the RIAA - The whole thing is stupid.
Do I know it's illegal? Of course I do!
But let me give you my reasoning for it.
*Rant*
Just like Professional Sports players and Movie actors, the people who write and record the music, that is being shared over p2p servers, are being paid millions for their work, hence the price of music bought in stores or online is so high, whether we trade or not.
If the RIAA keeps this up (referring to their lawsuits), people are likely to retaliate in some form or fashion. Maybe as an individual you can't do much about it, but large companies such as SBC are fighting back, because it not only infringes on the privacy act, but also is unconstitutional and in violation of the Digital Millennium Treaty of 2000. Universal Music has already decided not to go along with the RIAA and on their own accord have decided to lower their prices of the music put out under their label by about 30%. More record labels should do that.
Once I start making millions for doing the work I am doing, then I am willing to pay the high prices the recording industry charges for their products and quit using P2P to get my songs.
Once I can have 5 homes and 9 cars, 4 bodyguards and a private Jet, then I am willing to give in and buy my music.
*End Rant*
Every Music CDR since the AHRA was enacted has a hidden tax built into the price! (2% of the manufacturers sales) This is supposedly to pay the artists for home recording. Who Collects the Tax? The RIAA under the auspices of the AARC. Who shares office space with the RIAA and has many of the RIAA employees working for it. I haven't been able to find one artist that was paid a cent of the money. 4% is set aside for non-featured artists, of the remainder 40% for the featured artist and 60% for the labels. To date I have not found one artist who has received one cent of this money. (Source: RIAA website) In addition every CD recorder has a $2.00 surcharge built into the price that goes directly to the RIAAThe artists received not one cent of the money from the MP3.Com settlements of approx $158 Million to the labels. Who did??? The label themselves.
"SoundExchange" the new digital rights collective for collecting royalties from internet play is a division of the RIAA. They did not distribute royalties in July 2001 as they were supposed to do, but instead decided to wait until next year.
85% of all music is released by 5 major labels (Sony, EMI, UMG, Time Warner, & BMG)
Federal Trade Commission (FTC Statement)
At any given point about 20% of the music every recorded is available legally. The rest is locked away by the labels depriving the creators of a potential source of income, the fans of the music they want, while creating a false market for the band "d'jour."
A record executive was asked why the record industry did not seem to care (at least to the degree they do now) when people taped music from radio broadcast. The answer was that the quality was poor. The follow-up statement, "Then you don't care if music is 'stolen' as long as the result is poor quality."
I know that it may seem VERY hard and VERY unlikely that people who are trading music online could POSSIBLE NOT KNOW that what they are doing is wrong. When you conisder the fact that the Internet is just chalked full of news, who on the internet DOESNT know that its illegal? Unfortunatly, its unfair to lump all into this category... sure, it may just be a select few... but its still enough to mean that people are not well informed about the situation.
For example, let say a kid, 13 years old, who lives in Wyoming, who's family has JUST been able to finally aford a decent computer and Internet Connection, sees the internet as a GREAT way to get music because hes so far away from anything modern such as malls or music shops. Yes, while illegal, perhaps he doesnt know it. Again, he JUST got on the net, is NEW to computers and the whole jazz. Before you know it, the Kid is sued, and the RIAA walks away with a happy $2000 more in their already greedy little pockets.
Now just to stop a flame war from starting, my opinions of the RIAA and weather or not its ethical/unethical or illegal/legal really doesnt matter in this topic and issue. All im really trying to project across with this post is that YES, Trading is Illegal, but NO, not everyone on the planet knows it yet. I'm simply stating that its unfair to label the "uninformed" "stupid.
BTW: Thanks for the Topic Conta, I havent really been able to discuss anything down to earth like this in quite awhile.
Lynchknot: Told ya the Grateful Dead were "wit' it". 
It's not impossible for some people to ignore that exchanging music online is illegal. It's easy to consider that since it's right under your fingertip, you have the right to do it... especially when you're using a program that everyone knows and doesn't "look" underground at all. It feels a little like recording tapes from the radio (only the quality almost equals that of a cd!!)
Of course that's an assumption, as I don't know anyone who trades music online
Have a nice day!
Ken
not all people who trade online are stupid. only those who use p2p to do so are.
the people i know are aware of the legal issues.
the riaa scare tactics are superfluous. it's like killing a fly with a shotgun, and there are even artists who frown upon it.
Originally posted by contrasutra@Sep 16 2003, 06:31 PMLynchknot: Told ya the Grateful Dead were "wit' it".
Oh, yeah - :rock:
I thought is was only illegal if you got caught - :6
.not all people who trade online are stupid. only those who use p2p to do so are.
huh? what do you mean? do you mean "not all americans who trade online..." or do you have another reason? The tactics used in the states are unusable in other countries.
i occasionally use p2p and i challenge any bigwig to sue me and get money off me. and i mean it! :evil:
Originally posted by realitybath@Sep 16 2003, 09:25 PM.
huh? what do you mean? do you mean "not all americans who trade online..." or do you have another reason? The tactics used in the states are unusable in other countries.
i occasionally use p2p and i challenge any bigwig to sue me and get money off me. and i mean it! :evil:
It means if you want warez or moviez or free music, P2P is probably the dumbest way to get them. People who do so deserve to be caught.
The RIAA doesn't have power in Canada, right? 
Prices too high or not, many people (even those being sued by the RIAA) will STILL buy recordings, even though they are downloading the same songs. Why? Because they're still fans of the artists or bands.
I guarantee, the day Britney Spears releases a new CD, millions of teens will download the songs and then BUY the CD at the same time. Seems contradictory doesn't it? The reason is because when you're a fan of a band or artist, you don't just want the song. You want the artwork, the CD inserts, and even the rest of the "Enhanced CD" stuff. I was assistant manager of a music store for three years, and I saw it all the time.
Originally posted by Taha@Sep 17 2003, 10:24 AMThe RIAA doesn't have power in Canada, right?
i dont believe they can go after you, taha
check out this article
This is a fatal oversight, because P2P networks are international. While the Digital Millennium Copyright Act may make it illegal to share copyright material in America, the Canadian Copyright Act expressly allows exactly the sort of copying which is at the base of the P2P revolution.
it goes into more depth in the article, but i think you are safe (lucky bastard)
Originally posted by Taha@Sep 17 2003, 04:23 PMYIPPEEEE!!!! :own:
:canadian:
lol, if not a license for downloading, a safety net from the riaa. 
With me, I buy CD's online all the time. Most of what I buy though is music thats hard to find and can only pretty much be found off the internet sites. But thats not to say I wouldnt buy a CD from the local Sam Goody or something if theyre prices werent so crazy now a days. I mean come on 25 dollars for a music disc and I only want a few of the songs that are actually good on the damn thing. I wont steal music if stores lower theyre prices a little bit. paying 60 something dollars on a few CD's isnt right.
:order:
well, in any case I don't think I even need to worry.
I don't have a single American song on any of my computers.
Originally posted by Sone@Sep 18 2003, 12:46 AMWith me, I buy CD's online all the time. Most of what I buy though is music thats hard to find and can only pretty much be found off the internet sites. But thats not to say I wouldnt buy a CD from the local Sam Goody or something if theyre prices werent so crazy now a days. I mean come on 25 dollars for a music disc and I only want a few of the songs that are actually good on the damn thing. I wont steal music if stores lower theyre prices a little bit. paying 60 something dollars on a few CD's isnt right.
:order:
You'll freak if you knew what they are charging in third world countries.
Yeah, it's unfair. Mass produced CDs reduce costs compared to tapes right? Isn't that what they told us? Well, instead of passing the savings on to us, they charge more for them. More and more.
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