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Recording Artists File Brief Against RIAA
Matthew Skala writes: "The Recording Artists' Coalition, which includes such luminaries as Bruce Springsteen, Don Henley, and Sheryl Crow, is still annoyed about the "Work for Hire" legislation we heard about in August 2000. They've filed a brief in the Napster cases, urging the court not to accept the RIAA's copyright registration documents as proof of ownership, because accepting the documents would allow the music cartel to sneakily destroy artists' claims to the music they recorded. They don't take a stand on other issues we might be interested in, but it's still worth thinking about. If the artists are against the RIAA, then whom exactly does the RIAA represent? Some quotes and info are on Siliconvalley.com."
These companies are meant to represent the artists they sign up. However, they are too busy trying to grab ownership of the work that these artists do, and making money off of these artists, without giving the artists much back.
In the end, the artists should sort themselves out - they signed up for the recording deals. However, how can some singer hope to comprehend a legal contract from one of these companies? Contracts that in effect transfer ownership of the music to the company from the artist.
Musicians need to band together and work to get themselves good contracts. Contracts where they keep the ownership of the music, and the copyright, but license the record company to release their music for $x per album, for a period of y years.
Greater intelligence is needed on the side of the musicians, as in the end they are the loser in all of this RIAA monopoly shenanigens.
The RIAA represents the record companies. Everybody knows that what singers get compared to the money they earn is peanuts. The record companies keep it all, and they're going to do whatever they can to get more money. You know how car stereo equipment sellers have a bad reputation as being slimy, greedy, hoodwinks? Well take that to the tenth power and you begin to see how the RIAA is.
~ now you know
I've heard it used a lot of times, of course with varies themes, but this one is actually guite good.
We do not live in the 21st century. We live in the 20 second century.