Don’t Sever a High-Tech Lifeline for Musicians
By Janis Ian for the LA Times
The entertainment industry has a long history of trying to shut down new technology. Most often, it has imagined that new products and services threatened industry sales. It’s been proved wrong time and time again; it fought home video tooth and nail, but videotapes and rentals now bring in more money than movie releases. Music history is littered with record industry campaigns against reel-to-reel home tape recorders, cassettes, minidiscs, music videos and MTV.
Verizon is appealing the decision, and it is vital that the judge’s ruling be overturned.
The RIAA says it is doing all this to make more money for me and other artists like me, but don’t be fooled. Many musicians would lose money, many fans would be denied a universe of new choices and the possibilities of Internet music would be cut off before the revolution even begins.
Here is the full text of the article in case the link goes bad:
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/opinion/la-oe-ian2feb02.story
Los Angeles Times – latimes.com
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The music industry is full of greedy individuals that grossly rip off the musician to begin with.How is it,we can write the songs & perform them,spend long hours on the road,to be the only ones at risk of losing everything.I’ve played guitar most of my life,the things I’ve seen in the industry are appalling. It’s sad to say,but a lot of the times it’s usually about who you know and what you look like, rather than how good you are.I think this type of thinking is what detracts from people as a society.We the people,of a free thinking society,need to come together in one supreme BAND and take back what is ours.To stand up for our rights as individuals, and stop others from controlling our thoughts and way of life. That means we must petition our Governors,Congressmen,and Senators,as a society ,rather than as individuals to make this change.There is safety and strength in numbers,there is also power beyond what money can buy, if we work together.I believe WE can make this difference in the cyber world if,we look to ourselves to make these changes.the riaa has to realize,they can’t take away our freedom of choice.NUF’ SAID!!!!!!!!!!!!!