I have a lot of neat stuff planned for this week, but since Tuesday and Wednesday are likely to be swamped with NH Primary talk I want to go with something not explicitly political today. Don't worry, it's still trenchant.
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So by now I hope you've heard that the RIAA has finally leapt the chasm that separated their behavior toward customers from outright hostility. Yes, now it appears that they are taking the position in court that making electronic copies of legally-purchased CDs for personal use is illegal. Let me clarify what they are arguing in case it is unclear: you purchase the new Tremendous Fucking CD (who isn't?
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). Then you decide to rip a copy on your PC to add it to your iPod – which is, you know, what people do with CDs these days.
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STOP. ILLEGAL. NOT ALLOWED, sayeth the RIAA.
You're not redistributing the music, nor are you stealing it. But their new legal position is that….are you sitting down?…..if you want to put it on your iPod you need to go purchase the album again from iTunes or another legal music download site. Yup, that's what they're arguing.
My memory fails; can anyone think of an industry making such a lengthy, ludicrous, and aggressive assault on its own paying customers?
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I briefly recall Microsoft (circa Windows 98) arguing that if you had two computers in your home you had to purchase two copies of Windows, but they recanted after intense negative publicity. I can only conclude that the record industry is taking legal advice – from beyond the grave – from one Russell Jones. Like the classic Ol' Dirty tune "Here Comes the Judge" is a musical interpretation of the Onion column "I Am Fucking Insane," the new RIAA strategy provides a legal interpretation of the same principle.
Mike says:
By that argument, Tivo/DVR boxes (and VCRs as well) are illegal, if I want to record a show while I'm not at home. Didn't we already go through this in the early 80s?
What a vile industry.
J. Dryden says:
Huh-huh-HOW did this case get to court? I mean, how could this guy be "caught"? Is this a Scopes-Monkey-Trial-type-deal where the guy intentionally flaunted the law, calling the lawyers for the RIAA to come and serve him? Regardless, are they freaking kidding? Mike points out that the feds have said that you can record *broadcasts*–stuff you didn't even pay for!–for your own personal use (a decision that I suspect had a lot to do with a total inability to enforce a contrary policy) so what the hell, man?! Good luck on making this one stick.
j tyler says:
Apparently the lawyer spoke incorrectly. (http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/04/riaa-chief-says-ripping-okay-sony-bmg-lawyer-misspoke-during/)
That being said, the recording industry needs to figure out how to embrace changes in content delivery…rather than try to apply the same old rules and fight the people who find ways around it. Because I used to work in a record store I used to be totally against stealing music, but with the way the industry acts now, its starting to feel more like sharing music is stealing from the rich and giving to the poor.
What really pissed me off last week was when i tried to rip a dvd movie onto my computer and it wouldn't let me. This was for legitimate (and i think legal) reasons; i wanted a copy to watch on my computer and a back-up in case something happened. I had no intentions of sharing it with anyone…there is no harm in that. Shouldn't the rules for DVDs be the same as CDs?
beezwax says:
Copyright infringement is NOT theft. Whenever you use the word 'theft' to refer to file-sharing, you are helping the RIAA's propaganda machine.
Chris says:
The recording industry needs to evolve and adapt to today's economic environment (the internet and IPods), not get pissed off at the people that give them money. Isn't that biting the hand that feeds?!? Wow, that pretty productive and will solve all of their problems! Having to buy the same thing twice is complete insanity.