RIAA RANT…………….ho ho ho
I read on antoher blog (so please take with a pinch of salt) that the RIAA (Recording Industry Against Anyone) would want to prosecute anyone who posted lyrics on a website. Thats right. I would be in prison if the RIAA got their way.
Think of some of the big lyrics websites, they would be gone. If you heard a song that you really liked but only had two or three lines of lyrics with which to find out the artist and song, you would be screwed. Fans of bands would be unable to list their favourite song lyrics.
If this did come to pass, what would be next? Folks unable to say the words they heard on the radio? The NSA listening in on telephones (oh wait, they do that already) looking for people who sing to each other down the phone?
If poetry can be reproduced online, why can't song lyrics? Because poetry doesn't have a multi billion industry trying to wring every single possible dollar out of it. Because original poetry doesn't have companies trying to reproduce the success with manufactured 'boy' poets.
Yes, the music industry had been damaged by the downloading of music from the internet. Yes, I think that the music industry artificially kept the price of music CD's higher than they needed to be so that they could rake in the profits. Yes, I believe that most people treat music downloading like speeding. Everyone does it, everyone agrees that its not a good thing, and if caught, people accept that yes they shouldn't have done it and won't do it again until the athorities have left the vacinity.
The question of why so many people download music is easily answered. Its free and who wants to pay over the odds for an album with two good songs, an OK song and a pile of crap (probably including a cover version because the songwriters couldn't think of a new song for the band to learn to mime to).
A lot of songs on the internet, you just can't buy locally. Given the alternative of ordering online overseas for a hugh markup, its simpler to log on, check out, and download. If 'illegal' music downloads are banned (something I doubt will ever be done successfully) no one will be able to download Porky Pig singing Blue Christmas, Eric Clapton playing with Dire Straits during the Nelson Mandela concert in the 1990s performing 'Romeo and Juliet' will be lost to memory as it has never appeared on a recording. All so that a billion dollar industry can make a few more bucks.
Merry Bloody Christmas.
