Yeah, because we all know there was no music before copyright.
Obviously there was music, and some of the greatest ever written, but most of it was commissioned and paid for by the Church, the State, or the super wealthy. Copyright has shifted the ownership and control of art away from the institutions and into the hands of the individual.
Yes, there are now overpaid superstars. But, we also have a long and diverse tail of creative musicians who can make their art, push the boundaries, and get compensated for it.
Take a moment and visualize your promised land. Imagine a time when all of the labels have folded, and all music has been forced into the public domain. It's truly a utopia, unlimited access to everything ever recorded. Without the shackles of copyright, P2P explodes and there is a global renaissance of musical exploration.
The only problem with this perfect new world is that musicians no longer have the monetary incentive to keep working. No more schlepping from town to town doing small gigs in small rooms for small money. Back in the day, they did that to promote their recordings, but since the "revolution" what's the point - no one pays for music anymore.
Musicians are a strange recipe of ego, insecurity, plus a dash of crazy, and as strange as it seems they are the most productive under a capitalistic system. Everyone may whine that it's all crap, and that may be partly true, but when was the last time you found yourself humming along to a Russian or Chinese hit song? Financial risk and reward is built into the American culture, and the lure of fame and fortune drives people. Take it away and the music will suffer.
The RIAA ultimately represents the artists. They do the dirty work the musicians can't do alone. It's easy for you to make the RIAA out to be the bad guy, an evil corporation picking on old women and children. When in truth, the core conflict is between you and the artist. They want to be paid and you want them to work for free.
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Obviously there was music, and some of the greatest ever written, but most of it was commissioned and paid for by the Church, the State, or the super wealthy. Copyright has shifted the ownership and control of art away from the institutions and into the hands of the individual.
Yes, there are now overpaid superstars. But, we also have a long and diverse tail of creative musicians who can make their art, push the boundaries, and get compensated for it.
"The time of revenge may finally be at hand"
Comrades, be careful what you wish for.
Take a moment and visualize your promised land. Imagine a time when all of the labels have folded, and all music has been forced into the public domain. It's truly a utopia, unlimited access to everything ever recorded. Without the shackles of copyright, P2P explodes and there is a global renaissance of musical exploration.
The only problem with this perfect new world is that musicians no longer have the monetary incentive to keep working. No more schlepping from town to town doing small gigs in small rooms for small money. Back in the day, they did that to promote their recordings, but since the "revolution" what's the point - no one pays for music anymore.
Musicians are a strange recipe of ego, insecurity, plus a dash of crazy, and as strange as it seems they are the most productive under a capitalistic system. Everyone may whine that it's all crap, and that may be partly true, but when was the last time you found yourself humming along to a Russian or Chinese hit song? Financial risk and reward is built into the American culture, and the lure of fame and fortune drives people. Take it away and the music will suffer.
The RIAA ultimately represents the artists. They do the dirty work the musicians can't do alone. It's easy for you to make the RIAA out to be the bad guy, an evil corporation picking on old women and children. When in truth, the core conflict is between you and the artist. They want to be paid and you want them to work for free.