Comments
5 CommentsIn case someone has not heard yet, the RIAA trial over making 24 songs available for sharing (not necessary downloaded, just available) has cost Jammie Thomas $222,000. That's $9166 per song.
Now I used to buy CDs of the artists that I really liked and supported. Though things like this makes you rethink the state of the music industry. Some further research has shown a lot of those artists to be published under labels affiliated with RIAA. Darn.
I'm going to rethink my music purchases. Maybe I can use the money saved from not buying CDs to attend more concerts that directly contribute to the artists, and bypass their shady recording labels? ;) Or find some new RIAA-free tunes, and make it a point to buy _their_ CDs.
Ozone42
Written Oct. 7, 2007 / Report /
It's a ridiculous fine. It's next to impossible to actually quantify what would be an appropriate fine, but it's really hard to imagine this being anywhere near justifiable.
Going to concerts, buying t-shirts, or buying cds directly from the artist benefits the artist a great deal more than going to a store and getting it, so I'm with you on that. Be careful you're not punishing the artist instead of the RIAA though. If you truly support the music and art, make sure to really support it, monetarily.
tunequest
Written Oct. 7, 2007 / Report /
I really don't want to sound like an RIAA shill, because I take offense at the org's litigious nature as well as the big labels they represent, but based on the letter of the law and the arguments made in court, I probably won't have voted for a guilty verdict has I been on the jury, as unpleasant as it might have been to do so.
That said that, I would have lobbied for the smallest fine allowed by law.
Heliophage
Written Oct. 8, 2007 / Report /
To quote Thunderdome; Bust a deal, face the wheel
gerardmcgarry
Written Oct. 10, 2007 / Report /
I think Tunequest is right, it would have been hard to return a 'not guilty' based on the evidence we read about. Somebody elsewhere commented that if the price had been a dollar per song, that would have put things in perspective.
I know this sounds like the usual 'Die, RIAA, Die" speil, but suing music fans isn't going to reverse the trend in the industry. We've got an ever-growing list of musicians walking away from the labels now and trying to establish more direct sales and relationships with their fans.
I might just go out now and download a Nine Inch Nails record in celebration...
Oli
Written Oct. 10, 2007 / Report /
Didn't we just do this?
I feel I made a good few points to prove to you (as the RIAA proved to the jury) that she's as guilty as sin.