# Music for the Fans **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 10, 2003, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-fans/200676 "2003-09-10T03:18:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![stick\_monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@stick\_monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stick_monkey)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-fans/200676/21 "2003-09-11T15:50:22Z")
> [@](#): > > Is it not possible for them to just shut KAzza down, and i mean now, not at a later date after they sue millions of 12 year old girls. Highly unlikely, and wholly unprofitable to shut Kazaa down. First they are in a seperate country (believe Australia, but may be confusing them with another File-swapper), which means they are only subject to their own countries laws, and whatever international laws their government chooses to follow, not american copyright law (despite the RIAA and MPAA’s claims to the contrary). Second, they aren’t breaking the DMCA in the same way that napster was. They have proven quite well that their service (unlike napster) can be used for service other than copyright theft, in the same way that a computer can, or a VCR, or a Cassette Recorder; they have also proven that they have no control directly over what the users are sharing (unlike napster, they don’t keep central lists on the servers); they actually make a profit directly off their business (they sell stuff); and they have demostrated, on several occassions, that they wish to negotiate a financial arrangement with the RIAA. And finally, even if someone could wave a magic wand and make it go away today, it wouldn’t affect anything for more than the week it would take file traders to discover, morpheus, E-donkey, bittorrent, e-mule, and the hundred other filetrading methods available. ---
**Author:** ![stick\_monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/258eb7/32.png) [@stick\_monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stick_monkey)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-fans/200676/22 "2003-09-11T16:12:19Z")
Oh, and I could not find the initial whitepaper I refferred to earlier, but i was able to find these related cites, that give at least a broad idea of the bogusness the RIAA is vomiting up. [http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=9048](http://www.theinquirer.net/?article=9048) [http://www.boycott-riaa.com/article/7526](http://www.boycott-riaa.com/article/7526) > **[RIAA decries drop in CD sales](https://www.sfgate.com/business/article/RIAA-decries-drop-in-CD-sales-2558890.php)** > > according to a midyear report by the Recording Industry Association of America. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3117505.stm](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/3117505.stm) [http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/200304/msg00129.html](http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/200304/msg00129.html) ---
**Author:** ![Chicago\_Faucet](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chicago_faucet/32/13910_2.png) [@Chicago\_Faucet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chicago_Faucet)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-fans/200676/23 "2003-09-11T18:42:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Boo Boo Foo \* > \*\* > As a result, it’s a total fallacy and disingenuous thing to say that “the music belongs to the fans”. Within reason, almost every possible chord structure has already been discovered. Almost every possible chord sequence has been fleshed out. Almost every possible tempo has been played with, and almost every possible melodic phrasing has been explored. In short, less that 1 tenth of 1 per cent of every new song which is released for sale these days is genuinely “new” - and by far the huge majority of music for sale nowadays is some sort of rehashed, stolen, plagiarised form of theft - to a lesser or greater degree. Ergo, to say that “the music belongs to the fans” is bunkum - in reality, the only thing that belongs to the fans is that “it’s now your turn sucker” to be tickled by the marketing machine of YOUR generation. It’s your turn to be ripped off and sold crap music which has been repackaged as some great new revolution. > \*\* I don’t buy your argument at all. Matter of fact, you end up contradicting yourself. Since 99.9 percent of all music now is rehashed and plaigarized, then it doesn’t even belong to the artists who perform it - using your logic. The difference with our generation is that these suckers refuse to be taken by the record companies. I was about to start my own thread about this, since it has been a little while since there has been one. So hey, great minds think alike. Here are my stances on the issue: 1. The RIAA claims a deficit of 18 to 31 percent directly because of downloading. However, during this same time period the entire US economy was down 37 percent. On top of that, they are an entertainment industry, they should be happy that they haven’t lost more. In some respects, losing only that much could be seen as a profit. They aren’t producing durable good, homes, or food. 2. Eventhough some of the cases have already been settled, there are currently half a dozen price fixing lawsuits against the RIAA. It is ironic that it is _them_ offering _us_ amnesty. Yes, this practice is illegal. Having said that, the RIAA is acting like a bunch of guerilla vigilantes about it. Not only were they caught price fixing, but now they are acting quite heavy handed for being on thin ice. Not only that, they have seemingly shucked the love for music away, along with the glastnost of sharing the love. They may be losing some money due to the downloading of music, but they stand to lose a lot more by turning into a gestapo. They are simply forgetting where their paychecks come from. They are not going to win over any fans by suing them into debt. Precedent shows that the bands who embrace the fans: Grateful Dead, Phish, Black Flag, and Limp Bizkit; tend to be more profitable versus how much money is spent on their marketing and touring, from an economical standpoint. [opinion] On top of that, these same bands tend to encourage lasting legacies and fan loyalty.[/opinion] What I feel is going on is another market correction due to the advent of more advanced technology. Musicians are now realizing that they don’t have to pay thousands of dollars an hour to make a studio recording. They don’t have to beg and sell their first born for a lousy recording deal. They get to honestly keep the money that they earn from their efforts. They can press their own CDs, do their own advertising, and set up their own gigs. If they are good, they will succeed. The RIAA, I feel, knows this and it scares them shitless. They are seeing their main source of revenue being threatened. ---
**Author:** ![Quack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/e99b99/32.png) [@Quack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quack)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2003, 2:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-fans/200676/24 "2003-09-12T02:02:51Z")
**Chicago Faucet** , I just wanted to give you a round of applause for that post. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/music-for-the-fans/200676.md?page=1)