Filesharing Up 10% After RIAA Threatens Users

Moldy-Rutabaga writes "Technews says filesharing has gone up 10% on some sites such as Grokster since the Recording Industry Association of America's announcement on June 25 that it will start tracking down and suing users of file-sharing programs. Wayne Rosso, president of Grokster, commented 'even genocidal litigation can't stop file sharers'."

Comments

They need to study psychology not criminology

[gilesjuk]

They're considering suing normal people, people who for the most part don't shoplift, don't deal drugs, don't kill people etc..

You need to understand your market if you are to sell your product to it. With the Internet the market has changed, selling a song to the 'net generation is a lot more complex than a flashy video and radio play. This is the X factor that the recording industry hasn't really bothered to look into and I find it very interesting that one of the most successful online music sites is part of a computer company (Apple).

In summary the record labels need to send their marketing and product development guys off to college, study the success of e-commerce and redesign their business model cus CD is after all only a storage medium.

Re:They need to study psychology not criminology

[ejaw5]

I think there's another part of the market, the Compact Disc. Its a very durable and long-lasting medium that reproduces sound well. In the past, I'd say the RIAA profited from people repurchasing music on cassette tapes when upgrading from LP, and the same with CDs from cassette. Also have to consider the "replacement" purchases made when an LP or cassette wore out. CDs last a very long time (if not infinite life) if you take care of them. --CDs from the mid 80's in my collection still sound the same when played today. A new and improved medium could be introduced, but since the current CD is 'good enough', it probably won't catch on. In addition, If you ask music listeners today, the music pumped out today probably isn't worth buying again if the medium did change.

Consequences not effective

[bajo77]

People generally don't respond very much to possible consequences. There is a high chance of getting a speeding ticket, yet almost everyone goes above the speed limit, often ignoring the safety of themselves and others. There's not likely much the RIAA can do to make even a slight decrease in file-sharing.

Re: Is copyright going the way of prohibition?

[Black Parrot]

> Seriously, if enough people blatanly disobey copyright laws, if there is enough civil disobedience, it almost HAS to force a change in the law. The question, though, is how much is "enough" and do we REALLY need to go through all of the heavy handed law enforcement attempts before this happens?

How many people do you suppose are in prison right now for smoking pot, and how long has that enforcement been going on?

> Can't the law makers see for once, that this is what the PEOPLE want and step up to the plate to do their job?

Most of them will take an interest exactly when they think the number of votes the current arrangement costs them will hurt worse than the number of lobbying dollars an alternative tack would cost them.

Welcome to the lobbyocracy.

Re:Is copyright going the way of prohibition?

[garcia]

Uhh, prohibition on alcohol is over with but drug prohibition is not.

We spend millions and millions of dollars on the "Drug War" and millions and millions more on holding people in jail because they do/sell drugs...

How many people smoke pot? How many states have made it a minor offense to smoke it? How many people are still being busted for it, having their cars and houses seized for buying a dime bag?

And you think that filesharing is going to continue because people do it? Get real.

Why, why, why?

[themaddone]

RIAA threatens to sue dozens, hundreds, or thousands of file-shares. File-sharing increases, and we brag about it? "Woohoo! Look at us! You can't get me RIAA! Your threats and lawyers and lawsuits don't bother me at all!"

Look, I'm all for giving the RIAA whatfor, just on principle, but STOP TELLING THEM YOU'RE INFRINGING THEIR COPYRIGHTS (not stealing, as we all know... right?) AND QUIT FLAUNTING THAT YOU'RE NOT AFRAID.

Because they are going to drop the hammer. And they are going to sue some poor college kids and high school kids and ruin their savings and credit and quite possibily their future. This isn't funny. People should be switching to anonymous technologies ASAP. It's like a burgular going back to the same house after having a long conversation with the owner in a coffee shop about how he previously stole from the owner, and he didn't care that the owner now has some nasty looking guard dogs, a moat, and a team of lawyers ready to defend him when he shoots the burgular in "self-defense."

So shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. It's for your own good.

Re:my parents are spooked...

[tinrobot]

Your parents have a lot more to lose, like their house. If you get caught while using their internet connection, they're the ones who are going to pay the price.

It is marketing, but the RIAA knows the people who scare easiest are the ones with the most to lose.

Eighteen year old kids can afford to lose their life savings, because they can get it back in a week or two.

Re:Artists Against iTunes

[realdpk]

These same artists that have supposedly declared their albums are the "full picture" allow the radio stations to chop up the album in to individual songs, allow the DJs to chatter during the lead-in and lead-out, and allow the radio stations (or the labels) to censor their lyrics.

Artistic integrity is quite obviously not the prime concern for them.

Re:A bad thing?

[Music To Eat]

Removing dependance on full-length physical media will do a couple of good things. First it will force the industry and artists to put out more quality tracks instead of relying on a couple radio tracks to sell a disc made mostly of filler. Second, the consumer will no longer get stuck with a lousy disc.

Some bad things:

1) Instead of having one or two radio friendly songs to get you to buy the album, so you can then hear the more innovative stuff they really want to do, record companies may force bands to only release "radio" friendly music, since that's what sells. Leaving a lack of innovative music.

2) Selling individual songs on the internet could lead to bands being pressured to shorten their songs. If you get 99 cents a song, record companies would rather a 3 minute 3 Meg song to a 10 minute 10 meg song.

3) The death of the "concept" album. If each song has to stand or fall on it's own, what incentive does a band have to release something with a larger scope? No more Darksides, Quadrophenias, Red Headed Strangers, Kind of Blues, etc.


Buying music by the song may be the future of bubblegum pop, but I hope it'll never be the future of truly creative music.

RIAA - shoots self in foot again

[KevMar]

the RIAA just keeps shooting themselves in the foot. Every major lawsuit just leads to more public attention.

I remember when mp3's were only found on IRC or FTP server or crappy porn filled mp3 warez sites or college network shares. the Dimond RIO suit put mp3 in the spotlight and the napster lawsuit made mp3 a household name. They may will according to the law, but thats all they are winning.

Frank Zappa Said it Best (Go Buy Joe's Garage!)

[Greyfox]

"This is the Central Scrutinizer. It is my responsibility to enforce all the laws which haven't been passed yet. It is also my responsibility to alert each and every one of you to the potential consequences of various ordinary everyday activities you might be performing, which could eventually lead to... The Death Penalty. Or affect your parents credit rating. Our criminal institutions are full of little creeps like you, who do... Wrong Things."

Amazing how a guy who's been dead for 10 years can still be on topic...