Great Quote from G. Andrew Duthie on Chris Sells Blog
- Like Card, I earn much of my living on intellectual property, and I don't buy 90% of the arguments in favor of internet "music sharing". In my view, it's theft. If you want to do it anyway, at least be honest about it, rather than trying to tart it up as justice for the "rapacious" record companies.
- Posted
- by
- G. Andrew Duthie
- , Tuesday, September 16, 2003
I have had the exact same conversation with a few of my friends... and even some of my family...
I don't care if you download MP3s (or movies for that matter) without paying, go ahead... do what you want... but don't pretend it is any different than grabbing the disc off the shelf at the local music store and shoving it down your pants... You are stealing, and just because it is acceptable to many people doesn't make it any less of a theft.
Yeah, I've heard the arguments... blah, blah, big music companies are rich, charging too much, blah, blah... it is just 1s and 0s, so it isn't really stealing... etc.
If they are ripping you off (or ripping off the artists), then go listen to some independent local band (many of which give at least some of their music away on the web for free... really free, not stolen free)... and then pay that local band the $10 bucks to buy a CD-R from the stack next to the stage... at least you'll know where most of that $ is going.
Oh, and despite my opinion on this.... it doesn't make the RIAA any less of a bunch of losers :) though they generate great humour.
(Listening To: Sympathy for the Devil [The Rolling Stones / Forty Licks Disc 1])
Comments
- Anonymous
September 17, 2003
Absolutely, Positively, Three-hundred Percent Correct!
As you mention, if you don't like what the record companies are 'doing', don't buy from them! - Anonymous
September 17, 2003
The comment has been removed - Anonymous
September 17, 2003
Amen. Duncan, I have never seen it more well put. I agree totally. - Anonymous
September 18, 2003
http://weblogs.asp.net/tmarman/posts/28137.aspx - Anonymous
September 18, 2003
The comment has been removed - Anonymous
September 18, 2003
The comment has been removed - Anonymous
September 18, 2003
It used to be legal the US as well. Like Radio here - we all pay a small tarif on blank media and music cd's/albums/etc. so Radio can play free. You can record of the radio for your own personal use, and that's considered fair use - what I don't understand is why the record compaies are against a similar tarrif and a easing up on fair use? - Anonymous
September 18, 2003
The comment has been removed - Anonymous
September 18, 2003
Andrew - It has EVERYTHING to do with copyright law since it IS copyright law (in Canada at least):
"On March 19, 1998, Part VIII of the (Canadian) Copyright Act dealing with private copying came into force. Until that time, copying any sound recording for almost any purpose infringed copyright, although, in practice, the prohibition was largely unenforceable. The amendment to the Act legalized copying of sound recordings of musical works onto audio recording media for the private use of the person who makes the copy (referred to as "private copying"). In addition, the amendment made provision for the imposition of a levy on blank audio recording media to compensate authors, performers and makers who own copyright in eligible sound recordings being copied for private use."
(quote from http://techcentralstation.com/081803C.html)
IN regards to the basis for my last statement, that is derrived from what little i know about the Betamax case (http://www.museum.tv/archives/etv/B/htmlB/betamaxcase/betamaxcase.htm) where the court said it's ok to tape broadcast media. Which is different than a CD i know... but I am only pointing to the fact that we can legally record other copyrightten material legally.
Now im no expert on these things and feel you are mostly correct. I'm just trying to address a few issue that I have with blanket statements people make about everyone being a criminal. For instance i actually do believe that the 12 year old girl and her mom really thought they we're paying $30 a month for Kazaa service which gave them access to all these songs. I know a lot of people who barely knwo how to turn a computer on let alone understand how they even connect to what they see on their screen. - Anonymous
September 18, 2003
I want to reiterate also, I do think its right to download music you don’t own. I even think the 12 year old girl was wrong in doing it and I don’t think ignorance is an excuse. But I can see how people can get confused about some of these issues or even argue for them... not that I agree with any of them. I actually find the debate fascinating and educational in terms of copyrights and fair use, etc… - Anonymous
September 18, 2003
"The amendment to the Act legalized copying of sound recordings of musical works onto audio recording media for the private use of the person who makes the copy (referred to as "private copying")."
Even if this were the law in the US (which I don't believe is the case, but I can't state with certainty), that would still make much of the activity on Kazaa et. al. illegal, since these are not people who are making copies of "musical works onto audio recording media for the private use of the person who makes the copy". These are people who are ripping CDs to their hard drives and sharing them with others and/or downloading music that someone else has ripped to a hard drive. These are activities that wouldn't seem to be covered by the scenario of the Canadian Copyright Act fact sheet that you quote.
And as you point out, the ignorance of the 12-year old and her mom isn't an excuse for violating the law. Apparently the RIAA made their choices based on volume of copyrighted material being shared, and they had a lot of it. It was, IMO, a fairly tone-deaf move on the RIAA's part to target folks who would be likely to receive public sympathy, but I don't think they can be faulted on the law. - Anonymous
September 18, 2003
"I do think its right to download music you don’t own"
DUH... i meant to say WRONG... not right..
lol - Anonymous
September 21, 2003
manual trackback: <a href="http://steven.vorefamily.net/2003/09/19.html#a1683">http://steven.vorefamily.net/2003/09/19.html#a1683</a> - Anonymous
September 21, 2003
aw crud. can't keep all these comment systems straight.
http://steven.vorefamily.net/2003/09/19.html#a1683 - Anonymous
September 26, 2003
The comment has been removed