Originally Posted by Emma65

Thanks. And yes, you are right.

A lawyer is something that can be factored in to the advance and the record company pays for your lawyer - just make sure it's one that doesn't work for the label! Too many bands have done that mistake with both labels and managers and years later screaming they got scr*w*d.

Anyway - the point I was trying to make is that very few new artists will stand a chance making a living on their music with the illegal downloading. If they can't get a deal with a label who does the backing and marketing what can they do? And labels will be less keen to sign new artists if they can't sell them.

The illegal downloading isn't affecting the wealth of those who already made their fortunes before downloading turned in to a problem.

Oh - and how come CDs turn up on P2P networks long before they are released? Most often it's the journalists on the mailinglists. SOmetimes it's even the record company execs who have trusted a friend with a copy, who trusted another friend, who trusted another friend... and so on.

Or it's the courrier who pulled the CD and ripped it while he was taking it to the record company.

Or it's the recording studio who runs an FTP they never change the password on and who's had it hacked or who use them same access codes for all their clients, because they couldn't be bothered getting a sysadmin in to set up a VPN.

Or it's the band who haven't worked out that yousendit.com and similar is NOT a good idea to use when shipping files between eachother.

Sheer stupidity is most often the reason why a CD ends up on P2P before it's released. And a hefty portion of "lack of respect for other peoples intellectual property"

/E

Originally Posted by Febs

The United States Registrar of Copyrights has characterized allofmp3's music as "pirated":



You've pointed to the lack of information about allofmp3.com on RIAA's website as indicating that the RIAA at least tacitly acknowledges that allofmp3 is legal:

To the contrary, the RIAA is a member of the International Intellectual Property Alliance (IIPA), a private sector coalition formed in 1984 to represent the U.S. copyright-based industries in bilateral and multilateral efforts to improve international protection of copyrighted materials. According to the IIPA website, "IIPA and its member associations track copyright legislative and enforcement developments in over 80 countries, working with U.S. government, foreign government and private sector representatives. IIPA’s goal is a legal and enforcement regime for copyright that not only deters piracy, but that also fosters technological and cultural development in these countries, and encourages local investment and employment."

IIPA representatives have testified on a number of occasions before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Courts, the Internet, and Intellectual Property regarding intellectual property theft in Russia. IIPA has repeatedly reported to the U.S. House Subcommittee that the Russian government should take steps to curb intellectual property piracy, which it estimates costs U.S. companies $1.7 billion annually. One of the "six critical steps" that the IIPA recommends the Russian government take is to "immediately take down websites offering infringing copyright materials, such as allofmp3.com, and criminally prosecute those responsible." Clearly, the IIPA does not believe that allofmp3 is legal.

IIPA has urged the United States to take actions to "mandate Russia compliance with international norms and obligations" regarding copyright enforcement. IIPA has urged the U.S. to: (1) Condition Russia’s entry into the World Trade Organization (WTO) on meaningful copyright law enforcement; (2) Designate Russia as a Priority Foreign Country (PFC) after the on-going out of cycle review by U.S.T.R.; and (3) Deny Russia’s eligibility for the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) duty-free trade benefits.

Your supposition that RIAA has not taken any action against allofmp3 is incorrect. The IIPA report to Congress notes:

The emphasis is mine, but it highlights that it is much more difficult for RIAA to sue a Russia organization in Russia than it is to sue individual copyright infringers in the U.S. For that reason, the RIAA, through the IIPA, has pursued relief through diplomatic measures. While it apparently has not been very successful in those efforts to date, your argument that RIAA has somehow tacitly acknowledged that allofmp3.com is legal is flat-out wrong.

Originally Posted by jwalkabout

Good to know that a US agency considers ALLofMP3 as pirated music but given that half of what I do when I go abroad violates several USA laws; I have no qualms downloading "pirated" music. I most definitely can sleep @ night.

Originally Posted by murphy

It's great you're able to rationalize stealing.

Originally Posted by murphy

Whether there's a loophole in Russian copywrite law or not, if the copywrite holders are being compensated, to me it's stealing.

Originally Posted by murphy

It's great you're able to rationalize stealing.

Originally Posted by murphy

From his profile:
jwalkabout
Location:
USA
Interests:
good deals

Whether there's a loophole in Russian copywrite law or not, if the copywrite holders are being compensated, to me it's stealing.

Originally Posted by Emma65

the point is that the copywrite holders are not compensated. allofmp3 can pay as much as they want to ROM but if ROM isn't part of the international organisation tha govern all royalty collection agencies, then how are the artists compensated?

/E

Originally Posted by jwalkabout

I just can't support $1 per downlaod of lossy data nor can I support $15 per CD of what I consider disposable music regardless of the fact that it is legal.

Originally Posted by murphy

So don't buy their product. It's their decision how to sell it, not yours or allofmp3's.

Originally Posted by murphy

So don't buy their product. It's their decision how to sell it, not yours or allofmp3's.

Originally Posted by jwalkabout

I don't buy their product @ their price. So what is your point?
Let me put it to u this way. If u foud a bag of money with $25k in it that was dropped by an armored car or whatever and u had a slim to none chance of getting caught what would u do?
I would keep the money, some would avoid the money and leave alone, others would turn it over to the police. Pirated music is the equivalent to me.

You are under the impression that you need to impart some dose of moral values. Spare yourself the frustration because you won't influence me in the least bit. I know why I do what I do and I am perfectly comfortable with that.

Originally Posted by opus17

The same can be said about shoplifting.