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Aussie Music Industry Sues ISP Over Filesharing
An anonymous reader writes "In what is believed to be the first case of its kind in the world, the Australian music industry has listed an Internet service provider (ISP) as a respondent in a court case involving music piracy. The ISP is being sued for 'profiting' (by hosting it) from a site which distributes copyright-infringing material."
Auto manufacturers profit when their cars are bought by drug dealers for the purpose of smuggling drugs. Handgun makers profit when someone buys their gun and uses it in a murder. Gardening stores profit when a customer buys large quantities of fertilizer, makes a bomb, and blows up large federal buildings in Oklahoma City.
Should the auto manufacturer, handgun maker, and gardening store be legally liable for the crimes of their customers? Should they even be responsible for following their customers around to make sure they do nothing illegal?
I once bought a pirated CD in a pub, can the landlord be sued?
Actually, thinking further... if I didn't work then I couldn't afford to buy the pirate CD so surely my employer is ultimately responsible, after all they gave me the money to commit this foul act... I'm going to sue my employer for making me a criminal!!!
Or, should I quit my job, become unemployed, claim state benefits, buy a pirate CD and then sue the government?!?!?
When will people learn, the internet is neither inherently good nor evil... it's just a new medium... if kids weren't inside on their PC's pirating CD's they'd be out in the playground trading CDR's stuffed full of music... you gonna sue the school at that point?
It is common opinion that the major labels produce music according to formula that they believe will make hit records. Its all about the money. Its also true that many many record labels have come and gone trying to focus on the music. There is usually just not enough money available to promote as successfully as the big labels can.
It is also common understanding that for many bands now days that even after they get noticed by a large label, the large label will BILL THEM for recording time. Many bands end up in debt to the studios for their first album(s), thus further permitting preasure from the producers to make whatever music the label wants them to.
Isn't it about time that the public at large begins to seek music as art and not as commodity products? I sure hope so. And I personally see the Internet as the opportunity to deliver what the public wants, rather than what the industry wants us to have.
Let me buy singles! I hate paying $20.00 for one song and 10 fillers!
Let me preview any and all music -- This is starting to happen. I went to a large new Border book store and found a device in the back of the room that let me sample (small low rez 30 second clips) any song from any current published work!
And let me buy it in the form I want it in. MP3s may be fine for sampling, but when I want to listen to music, I want lossless formats.
All of the technology exists to make it happen, from home with broadband, or from a store like location if I don't have great broadband. Go there, select the tunes I want by sampling, put in my CD/DVD/SD/MC/etc.,swipe my credit card, choose a format (MP3,Ogg,Lossless, etc.), and boom, I have what I want.
Would I pay for that? You bet! Will it ever happen? Not until the RIAA goes away and the major labels understand what killed them, and that means never. :(