P2P-Zone - View Single Post - The Internet Debacle

JackSpratts · 10-07-02, 10:35 AM

great post ramona!

a few more artists who think (and write) like janis and this fight could be halfway over. it's extremely important for performers to speak out on this issue. i keep hearing over and over from normally well meaning people the mantra that the internet is "killing artists". the riaa propaganda machine is working because on the surface, it makes sense. adding up the benefits to artists created by the internet in promotion, distribution and club sales etc. is complicated and for the most part overlooked by the media. then go and tell people that artists don't make money from record sales to begin with and you can start sounding like the worst self-justifying thief. all this opens you up to attacks by people like rep. berman and his despicable and truly bizarre statements on behalf of his owners in california.

"P2P piracy does not promote legitimate sales, it replaces them. How do I know? I have some common sense, a grasp of fundamental economics, and a college-age daughter with lots of friends. Frankly, it is galling that creators must even respond to such laughable sophistry." ok.
powerful stuff that. hollow, impossible to prove, untestable even (by design of course), but powerful nonetheless.

Ian has given this issue more thought than almost anyone in congress, (which isn't saying much obviously – no criticism of Janis intended) but she's done it in a way that's easy to understand and makes sense to people on a personal and intuitive level. not only is it right but perhaps as importantly, it feels right. that this artist, this potential victim is in fact so intently in favor of internet file sharing and other forms of online distribution, because she knows it's good for her, goes a long way to countering the riaas’ disinformation attempts and is as strong a statement in favor of peer - to - peer usage as i've heard in a long time. required reading.

- js.

10-07-02, 10:35 AM	#5
JackSpratts Join Date: May 2001 Location: New England Posts: 10,023	great post ramona! a few more artists who think (and write) like janis and this fight could be halfway over. it's extremely important for performers to speak out on this issue. i keep hearing over and over from normally well meaning people the mantra that the internet is "killing artists". the riaa propaganda machine is working because on the surface, it makes sense. adding up the benefits to artists created by the internet in promotion, distribution and club sales etc. is complicated and for the most part overlooked by the media. then go and tell people that artists don't make money from record sales to begin with and you can start sounding like the worst self-justifying thief. all this opens you up to attacks by people like rep. berman and his despicable and truly bizarre statements on behalf of his owners in california. "P2P piracy does not promote legitimate sales, it replaces them. How do I know? I have some common sense, a grasp of fundamental economics, and a college-age daughter with lots of friends. Frankly, it is galling that creators must even respond to such laughable sophistry." ok. powerful stuff that. hollow, impossible to prove, untestable even (by design of course), but powerful nonetheless. Ian has given this issue more thought than almost anyone in congress, (which isn't saying much obviously – no criticism of Janis intended) but she's done it in a way that's easy to understand and makes sense to people on a personal and intuitive level. not only is it right but perhaps as importantly, it feels right. that this artist, this potential victim is in fact so intently in favor of internet file sharing and other forms of online distribution, because she knows it's good for her, goes a long way to countering the riaas’ disinformation attempts and is as strong a statement in favor of peer - to - peer usage as i've heard in a long time. required reading. - js.