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  thecaptain, 24 Jul 2003 @ 6:16am

  
  

  simple.

  Because those of us outside the industry aren't the ones making the money hand over fist and laughing all the way to the bank with the existing system. We keep bitching and moaning but notice that billions are still made from CD sales and whatnot...until those billions dwindle to nothing (or not enough to support the industry) the music industy is not "dying" and they are free to threaten and accuse all their customers with impunity.
  
  The moneymakers have had NO consequences (or rather no serious consequences) from their accusations and actions...they've raised prices..we still buy...they call us thieves, we still buy...they create stupid laws...we still buy..they want to hack our systems and put us in jail and throw away the key...they still make billions...
  
  Until the billions stop coming in (rather than slow down by what? 2-5%..what is that on a few billion really?) they will feel free to act with impunity...and act they will.
  
  Rant and rave all you want (and by the way, I do agree with you, I like your view point Mike and please don't take THIS rant as a request to stop) but until they are financially punished NOTHING will change. Period.

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  LittleW0lf, 24 Jul 2003 @ 11:03am

  
  

  Digital Distribution...friend of the musician.

  Most people believe that it is fear within the RIAA/MPAA and other publishing and distributions organizations of loosing their status quo which keeps them out of digital distribution. People cite greed as the primary goal of the RIAA/MPAA here. However, I don't see it that way. It isn't fear of loss of status quo which is driving these folks, but fear of loss of business, the loss of the monopoly they have fought hard to make which drives them to destroy or control anything digital.
  
  Sure, RIAA/MPAA are worried about digital distribution. After all, digital distribution is far cheaper than CDs and DVDs, and they will have a harder time explaining why they need to charge $18 to distribute an album over the internet as they do in CD format. But they're right, it costs money to distribute music over the internet, if alone in infrastructure and connection charges. So all they need to do is point to these costs as the hidden costs of doing digital distribution, and the lawyers and congress (which, not suprisingly, tends to be one in the same,) will go away.
  
  But what is driving these organizations, and the labels and distributors behind them isn't the loss of a business model of selling high priced CDs instead of low priced online music, but the loss of a monopoly control of the distribution channels. Sure there are independants now, but in reality, those independants are under constant threat by the RIAA and its member labels, who could push them out of business, through either legal or illegal means (consider the few musicians who have decided to use Ebay or other digital marketplaces to peddle their music, who constantly have RIAA cancelling the sale of their products under the grounds that they are distributing copyright music online, albiet they own the copyright for the music they are selling.)
  
  Digital distribution is quite easy to accomplish. And to somewhat of an extent, there are a number of bands already distributing music to their customers online. Bands like Govt Mule, 311, and others have had songs and even entire CDs worth of music available to the public in MP3 or RA format for some time. However, CD distribution is still king, and to be able to produce a CD, you still need the labels who have the CD presses and other resources available.
  
  What the RIAA/MPAA and their members fear, in my opinion, is that unlike CDs, your average individual can distribute music online. It doesn't take a label, or a legion of computer scientists, anyone, from the brainiac "Weird Al" Yankovik or Gene Simmons, to Madonna, to even intellectual dimwits Lars Ulrich or Brittney Spears, can produce and distribute digital music. All they need is a little web page experience (or hire someone for a couple bucks to do it for them,) and an internet service provider or webspace provider (most of whom will run e-commerce sites for them.) With everyone distributing their own music, the RIAA, and its member labels, no longer are necessary to making music.
  
  In the long run, if digital distribution is available to everyone, the labels themselves will become nothing more than one of many digital music stores online, competing against various other digital stores and even against many bands who choose to distribute their music independantly. Talk about marginalization, the industry would fall out of the hands of the RIAA and the labels to the artists themselves, who have long been living in a regime where the $15.98 of every $16 CD sold goes directly to the labels, producers, etc., and only $0.02 ends up in the hands of the artists. Instead, bands will find that they don't need to charge nearly as much for an online album, and will still have plenty of money to spare. Who needs massive dollar advertising when demo copies of your music are available for free on your website, and passed around by your fans to their friends?
  
  RIAA and the labels don't want digital distribution, and they don't want music online (which is why they have tried to make every company wishing to distribute music online go away,) because doing so would show musicians that there is an easier and fairer way to distribute music online, and the process doesn't involve the labels.
  

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    thecaptain, 25 Jul 2003 @ 7:29am

    
    

    Re: Digital Distribution...friend of the musician.

    Excellent and quite eloquent point.
    
    However, loss of monopoly = loss of money...so potAto potAHto :)

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