“Trying to put the toothpaste back into the tube.”
When I think of the continuous discussions centered on online music sharing, I can’t help but think of this phrase to help summarize the overall issue. Free file sharing is not going anyway anytime soon, no matter how many lawsuits are brought to court by the RIAA or federal government.
According to an article from technology website Gizmodo, the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonographic Industry) found in 2008 that only 5% of the music people acquire online is done so in a legal manner ("95% of Music Downloads Are Pirated"). If 95% of your product is being traded for free when you're trying to actually sell it, it’s safe to say that it’s pretty far out of your control at that point.
So what is the solution? Clearly, the RIAA and IFPI’s efforts to date have not been sufficient. The method of collecting random IP numbers and tracking down file sharers has proven to be fairly clumsy and usually just results in bad PR for the record labels (such as when the RIAA filed suit against an 83 year old great-grandmother in West Virginia in 2004, without even realizing that A- she didn’t own a computer, and B- she wasn’t even alive anymore).
Sites such as iTunes and Amazon have found a lot of success as legal means of purchasing music, but with increasing rates on iTunes and more package deals for entire albums rather than just being able to buy a single song; those methods are starting to see an online backlash as well.
People have grown used to having their favorite songs available to them in any instant by using a quick Google search and finding the MP3 to download. Technology is outpacing legislation (such as anonymously used websites where you can simply load a YouTube clip of a song and it lifts the audio from the video, browser add-ons that can download streaming music, etc.), and the only way this could really be stopped would be if laws were created or music files were designed with such harsh restrictions that almost all enjoyment of obtaining music went out the window in the process.
I’m not entirely sure what the ultimate solution to this issue is, and at this point it certainly doesn’t seem like anyone does (other than things continuing to go poorly for the recording industry). But as technology continues to expand and our social interactions through technology continue increasing, those who are fighting against free online music sharing have a very difficult uphill battle.
Well, Morris, you certainly make a point difficult to contest. Technology is racing ahead and leaving legislation and anti-theft technology in its dust. What's greater is that piracy is becoming a part of today's culture and no longer contradicts our mores. For this reason, I must agree with you that no solution is apparent and those battling this revolution are gluttons for punishment.
ReplyDeleteI respect your opinion Morris, but I believe you have been misled.
ReplyDeleteArtists are making more money when people download their music for free. They are becoming more famous and increasing their revenue.
Then where is the harm?
Do you know why they are pretending that they are fighting the free downloading of music?
So, misled people like yourself will pay money to purchase their music while they still benefit from the free downloading of music.
So, they are capturing all markets. Unknown artists getting know and known artists making more money.