After the Civil War, sharecroppers got to do relatively interesting work that they liked to do and were in the top 10% of the salary range at the time. As a software developer for a company, I am definitely not a sharecropper in any sense of the word.
Now musicians, on the other hand... Up until the Internet, the only way for a band to get national coverage was to buy into the RIAA's sharecropping scheme. Now you can put your band's MP3s on your web site, but chances are that (among other things) the RIAA will see that you're hosting a bunch of MP3s and have your ISP shut you down. Music is a much closer analogy to sharecropping than programming is.
Sure [slashdot.org] they don't. There are several documented instances where they sent infringement notices to ISPs without bothering to check the material on the site. I've heard stories of them sending infrigment notices to any site hosting any.mp3 files. And the ISP will inevitably shut those sites down rather than face legal action.
Did you notice that it said that the RIAA recanted and apologized once they realize an error had been made?
FUD doesn't only come from one side.
The site *wasn't* shut down, and no non-RIAA-copyrighted material was vanished by the RIAA.
Do you have any references of substance, or just wishy-washy Slashdot stories? How about anecdotal or legal precedence of the RIAA maliciously removing non-member works through threat of legal action?
Yeah, Because... (Score:5, Insightful)
Now musicians, on the other hand... Up until the Internet, the only way for a band to get national coverage was to buy into the RIAA's sharecropping scheme. Now you can put your band's MP3s on your web site, but chances are that (among other things) the RIAA will see that you're hosting a bunch of MP3s and have your ISP shut you down. Music is a much closer analogy to sharecropping than programming is.
You are wrong beyond belief, troll. (Score:3, Interesting)
The RIAA isn't going to shut your own band's site down because you're hosting your own MP3s of original songs. Get real, buddy.
They're in the business of protecting their members, not offensively eliminating non-members. Their tactics are questionable.
Although the RIAA:mafia analogy extends to a certain threshold, the RIAA isn't *actually* the mafia.
Re:You are wrong beyond belief, troll. (Score:4, Insightful)
Uhh, right. (Score:0)
Did you notice that it said that the RIAA recanted and apologized once they realize an error had been made?
FUD doesn't only come from one side.
The site *wasn't* shut down, and no non-RIAA-copyrighted material was vanished by the RIAA.
Do you have any references of substance, or just wishy-washy Slashdot stories? How about anecdotal or legal precedence of the RIAA maliciously removing non-member works through threat of legal action?
RIAA Cheering Section out in Force (Score:1, Flamebait)
The RIAA's shoot first and ask questions later attitude is well documented. Now I'm beginning to wonder if they're not also employing some astroturf.