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Music Recording Industry's Dirty Tricks

Posted by michael on from the greed-greed-greed dept.

Jett writes "Salon.com has an article up about how some evil corporate cartel called "RIAA" almost succeded in stealing recording copyrights from artists forever by secretly slipping an amendment into a 1,740-page omnibus spending bill. It's rather ironic that they whine about Napster "stealing from artists" when they themselves are running around Washington using their political powers to secretly create laws that steal from artists." Well, they did succeed. However, enough of the artists protested, and the RIAA has enough other troubles, that they're going to support changing the law back.

5 comments

  1. Ooops... You did it again... by Brazilian+Geek · · Score: 1

    Sorry, but this is another repeat article.

    Anyway, I really don't mind the RIAA screwing Britney (... oh yeah ...) or Metallica but the artists and the press forgeting to mention that they are being screwed by the RIAA is just another log for the ever present consipracy bonfire.

    --
    All browsers' default homepage should read: Don't Panic...
  2. RIAA fiasco by nomadic · · Score: 2

    Last November, acting at the RIAA's request, Mitch Glazier, then chief counsel for Congress' copyright subcommittee, inserted the "sound recording" amendment to an unrelated bill...Glazier, who now works for the RIAA, consulted only a handful of congressional assistants last fall. He was able to make the change because he explained the alteration was non-controversial and technical in nature.
    Now there's a lovely bit of ethics there. There's got to be some law involving influence peddling by Congressional employees. Guess that kind of morality really impressed the RIAA ("What? You'd be willing to do that? How about a job? We need people like you!").

    The funniest thing is the remarks of the RIAA president:

    The book needs to be closed on this issue so we can get back to a united industry on so many important challenges of the day," said RIAA president and CEO Hilary Rosen in a prepared statement.

    More important challenges of the day? First of all this is a manipulation of legislative process. It's important to keep investigating. Secondly, what else does the RIAA do that's so important? Besides suing Napster I mean.

    osen blasted Billboard as part of "a sensationalist media that simply could not resist adding fuel to the fire, fanning the flames of misunderstanding with a misleading but juicy story."

    If you were to compile a list of groups justified in assuming wounded innocence, the record companies in general and the RIAA in particular would probably be at the end. Hopefully a few members of congress will be irritated enough to look into this matter more.
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    1. Re:RIAA fiasco by DrQu+xum · · Score: 1

      More important challenges of the day? First of all this is a manipulation of legislative process. It's important to keep investigating. Secondly, what else does the RIAA do that's so important? Besides suing Napster I mean.

      They gotta keep manufacturing gold and platinum albums for Britney Spears and Metallica. :)

      Remember a few days ago when it was reported that CNN (a Time Warner company) posted a link to DeCSS? Wonder how many of the major 'Net news sites that are also owned my RIAA members (CNN [Time Warner], ABCNews.go.com [Disney], off the top of my head) posted links to Napster & Gnutella & the rest of them when reporting on it.

      Rosen wants to talk about the media adding fuel to the fire -- she's bringing a tanker truck herself.

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      DrQu+xum: Proof that the lameness filter doesn't work.
    2. Re:RIAA fiasco by GreenHell · · Score: 1

      They gotta keep manufacturing gold and platinum albums for Britney Spears and Metallica. :)

      Let's not forget they now have 'diamond' albums, those can't be cheap (although I personally wonder how you represent them...) and I bet you anything they helped finance britney's... ummmm... how should i put this.... alleged 'improvements'... in some way shape or form (hey, if it sells records, it generates money, which goes staright into the RIAA's pockets...) Of course, it could just be me being paranoid, but it still wouldn't surprise me in the least

      -GreenHell

      --
      "I won't mod you down - I feel the need to call you a twit explicitly, rather than by implication."
  3. Tis nothing but.. by AbbyNormal · · Score: 1

    the Golden Rule. He who has the most gold, makes all the rules. Then came Napster who began drilling at the cornerstone of their gold pile. Will it topple the RIAA. Probably not, but damn that would be a good day.

    God gave me eyes and a brain to see through mainstream religion

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    Sig it.