RIAA: Kiss My Ass
You know, the more I think about the RIAA lawsuits, and all the other crazy shit they're pulling, the more pissed I become.
You know what I think? I think downloading music constitutes fair use. A song is part of an album, just like a chapter is part of a book. You can copy and share a chapter out of a book and not get sued as long as you give credit. In fact, you can go to a library and read a whole book for free.
Yes, I know this is a swiss-cheese argument. I'm really just pissed by the recent appearance of "empty" files on LimeWire. You think you're downloading what you want, but you're really getting a 20-minute mp3 of silence. Of course, with effort, you can still find what you want. I'm laughing at you, music companies, because you think that's going to stop people from file sharing. LOL.
The problem would be largely solved if the average price of a CD weren't $16-$20. The fact is, the music industry isn't "losing" nearly as much as it claims, since the average downloader simply wouldn't drop that kind of money on the CD's to begin with. We'd just go without.
When I REALLY want a CD, and I have honest respect or admiration for the artist, I buy it. When I download a song, what I'm really "stealing" isn't the song - which I can hear on the radio, free and legal - I'm getting the convenience of hearing it whenever I please. That convenience is worth maybe a quarter a song, and I refuse to pay more.
You know what I think? I think downloading music constitutes fair use. A song is part of an album, just like a chapter is part of a book. You can copy and share a chapter out of a book and not get sued as long as you give credit. In fact, you can go to a library and read a whole book for free.
Yes, I know this is a swiss-cheese argument. I'm really just pissed by the recent appearance of "empty" files on LimeWire. You think you're downloading what you want, but you're really getting a 20-minute mp3 of silence. Of course, with effort, you can still find what you want. I'm laughing at you, music companies, because you think that's going to stop people from file sharing. LOL.
The problem would be largely solved if the average price of a CD weren't $16-$20. The fact is, the music industry isn't "losing" nearly as much as it claims, since the average downloader simply wouldn't drop that kind of money on the CD's to begin with. We'd just go without.
When I REALLY want a CD, and I have honest respect or admiration for the artist, I buy it. When I download a song, what I'm really "stealing" isn't the song - which I can hear on the radio, free and legal - I'm getting the convenience of hearing it whenever I please. That convenience is worth maybe a quarter a song, and I refuse to pay more.
