# What goes around, comes around (looks good on the recording industry) **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 9, 2009, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-goes-around-comes-around-looks-good-on-the-recording-industry/520583 "2009-12-09T13:06:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-goes-around-comes-around-looks-good-on-the-recording-industry/520583/1 "2009-12-09T13:06:36Z")
I just read [this smile-inducing article](http://www.thestar.com/business/article/735096--geist-record-industry-faces-liability-over-infringement) from the Toronto Star. The gist of it is that the various corporate members of the Canadian Recording Industry Association (i.e. Sony Canada, EMI Canada, etc.) are being sued for BIG bucks (possibly 60 billion bucks - that’s billion with a ‘b’) in a class action suit for making a habit of not paying royalty fees (for up to 20 years!). The smile really comes from this line in the article: > [@](#): > > the conduct of the defendant record companies is aggravated by their strict and unremitting approach to the enforcement of their copyright interests against consumers. The irony is too delicious! ---
**Author:** ![Marley23](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Marley23](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marley23)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-goes-around-comes-around-looks-good-on-the-recording-industry/520583/2 "2009-12-09T16:10:12Z")
Can’t say I’m sorry to hear it. Since this is also a music thread I’m going to send it to Cafe Society. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-goes-around-comes-around-looks-good-on-the-recording-industry/520583/3 "2009-12-09T18:06:36Z")
Wow. I wonder if the judge will throw the book at the industry in light of their grandstanding about the importance of combating copyright infringement. If the allegations are true then it seems to me that the lawyers for the record industry are going to have a tough time defending their client. I wonder if there will be a similar suit in the United States. I can’t image the record industry has been any better about respecting artists. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-goes-around-comes-around-looks-good-on-the-recording-industry/520583/4 "2009-12-09T20:15:15Z")
I can’t imagine the US industry doesn’t have better lawyers, better accountants, better lobbyists, and a lot more of each. Besides, we favor corporations legally over the little guy. If there ever were a royalty scam uncovered, it would just end in a class action where everyone concerned got pennies on the dollar and business went on as usual. ---
**Author:** ![MichaelQReilly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@MichaelQReilly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MichaelQReilly)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-goes-around-comes-around-looks-good-on-the-recording-industry/520583/5 "2009-12-09T20:46:53Z")
This nicely sums up my argument about the whole music piracy debate. Yes, stealing music is morally wrong. But given that the record labels have been stealing from consumers and artists for years, I’m certainly not going to cry for them. What goes around comes around, bitches. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-goes-around-comes-around-looks-good-on-the-recording-industry/520583/6 "2009-12-09T20:49:47Z")
Sunday night I watched _The Wrestler_ and for the next two days had “Round and Round” by Ratt stuck in my head. Today, I had finally gotten rid of it. Until now. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2009, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-goes-around-comes-around-looks-good-on-the-recording-industry/520583/7 "2009-12-09T20:50:19Z")
If this would be the last step to the death of the corporate record industry, I would cry no tear. They’ve been doing this as long as they existed. ---
**Author:** ![gaffa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e68b1a/32.png) [@gaffa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gaffa)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2009, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-goes-around-comes-around-looks-good-on-the-recording-industry/520583/8 "2009-12-10T01:41:52Z")
[Obligatory link](http://www.negativland.com/albini.html) to Steve Albini’s Maximum Rock’n’Roll column about how the record industry fucks people.