Anti-File Sharing Backlash
from the lock-up-the-content! dept
When the RIAA announced that they were going to start suing the heaviest file sharers, most of the initial reports said that the use of file-sharing networks actually went up. Some suggested that they thought it was a "last call" situation, and many people decided to stock up on all the music they could find before shutting down their Kazaa for a while to let the storm blow over. It appears that theory might be correct, as the latest data says that fewer people are using file sharing networks. I'm not sure that I trust the methodology used for any of these studies, but stories like this should make the RIAA happy. All those fans of music who were getting others interested in new musicians have stopped. The best promoters of their musical acts no longer have an outlet. Instead, they're being sent to newspapers to write up silly opinion pieces about how they learned how wrong file sharing is. I wouldn't be surprised if the piece written by this college student wasn't ghost written by someone in the RIAA, since it carefully touches on each of the "moral" argument points they like to make.
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re: File Sharing / Anti-File Sharing Laws, the RIA
If they do away with the major file sharing entities, it will only cause the file sharing individuals to create smaller, and harder to track file sharing systems.
If they finally kill the file sharing system altogether, then people can simply use fine products such as Sound Forge and wonderful CD burners to make copies for interested parties, or they can simply do what everyone used to do --- buy audiocasette tapes and make copies via their stereos.
Then maybe the RIAA will go after cd-r/rw manufacturers, then audiocassette makers, on to infinity...
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