Jeffry Smith, on 08-Mar-2001, coaxed the photons to reveal:
<snip>
> Nope, bought & paid for by the companies. Note that the RIAA does not
> have
> anything to do with the artists - they represent the _Recording_
> industry.
> Similarly for the MPAA. Copyright was designed for the artists:
> "Congress shall have the power ... To promote the Progress of Science and
> useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the
> exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries"
>
> That's it in a nutshell. What the RIAA/MPAA want to do is remove fair
> use, so
> their companies (threatened by the ability of artists to avoid the
> middleman)
> can continue to rake in huge profits.
<snip>
I have nothing against the desire to make huge profits. However, the RIAA
(and the large labels) are simply frightened at how fast technology -- and
access to that technology -- is extending beyond a few specialists into the
hands of the masses, to artists and fans. They can't bear to see their
stranglehold on the U.S. music industry slip away and are fighting for
survival. Extinction would be far more appropriate.
I used to be in the music business -- as a recording engineer and, more
recently, as a producer. However, music for me has returned to its initial
state: a passionate hobby, while perl has taken its place as a means for my
livelihood. ;-)
My experiences with the RIAA have been less than pleasant. I found them to
be sanctimonious, self-serving, and avaricious to an extreme extent. I
don't like them one bit.
Gerry
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Competition is a by-product of productive work, not its goal.
A creative man is motivated by the desire to achieve, not by
the desire to beat others. -- Ayn Rand
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