Comment Some thoughts. (Score 1) 674
Alright... here goes. Now, IANAL, nor anything else that would grant me instant credibility... but...I do have a few thoughts on this whole thing that may be worth glancing at. Sorry it's sort of a formless rant.
What does a win for the RIAA mean? They shut down Napster, do they? There's other servers out there. It's maybe a one month delay before virtually every napster user out there migrates to some open server, without logging, or perhaps even one of the alternatives without any of the file filters. This doesn't mean much except that pirating becomes more and more common. The RIAA probably wouldn't even see much of a spike in record sales, if any at all.
If they win the case, a hell of a lot of people hate the RIAA for destroying something of the free spirit of the internet (I don't care that it isn't really in the spirit of freeness, or really what exactly the spirit of the internet really is (I've always thought of it as defined by popular opinion)). It really doesn't sound like the RIAA has too much to gain from this. They're not gonna push any legislation through, because it takes too long. They can't keep sueing every person who puts up a Napster like server, because in a short while, there will be no centralization. They have better uses for their money. So why are they suing?
Might the RIAA want to *lose* this whole thing? I know it's a totally ludicrous idea, but this would be perhaps one of the greatest acts of free publicity that the RIAA could ever pull... I don't see any direct gain for them... but just about everything has it's hidden ups and downs... I have a feeling that a loss for the RIAA might not be as bad for them as we all think. Supposing the RIAA sought out good AND technically oriented lawyers? I wonder if perhaps they would expect said lawyers to perform at something less than the best of their abilities, as most of you out there would, were you confronted by the RIAA and saw, with that mind that sees the broader picture of effects (or maybe even the simple, "I want my free music" Joe Schmoes as well). Let me reiterate everyone else out there... this is NOT the end of music on the internet... if code is going to be recognized as a form of expression, then there will always be some form of filesharing out there... as time passes, things will simply before more complex and, despite that, I think that it will become more common.
You know, I bet that the RIAA execs use Napster. I bet their lawyers use Napster. I bet their kids use Napster. If use could be traced back to them... and publicized... I think they'd never hear the end of it.
You all aware of the whole Seven Degrees of Separation thing? You (yes, you, every one of you) knows everyone else (well, almost anyone, excluding very secluded villages) on the planet. Through your connections. You know a guy who knows a gal, who's father is an agent who knows Meg Ryan. You know how it works, right? That's the basis for Gnutella. Use those connections, people, if you would do your fellow man, women, child, or even a scrawny little computer nerd sitting in a darkened room. You know the lawyers, the execs, the janitor who didn't do so great a job of destroying those RIAA contract drafts, whether you know it or not... use them. Maybe even have a word or two with the guys. All those movements (open source, free music... whatever) that come through slashdot have a viewpoint that needs to be spread through the public. A law is only as good as it's enforced... give em hell where pirating music is concerned, but, whether you yourself mean to or not,also spread the word that this all calms down and purchases resume at higher levels once A) record prices go down. B)the RIAA starts shaping up. C)another form of distribution solidifies.
--Just some guy who heard something from someone who's fairly close to someone who DOES know some of the questions we probably should be asking but haven't
What does a win for the RIAA mean? They shut down Napster, do they? There's other servers out there. It's maybe a one month delay before virtually every napster user out there migrates to some open server, without logging, or perhaps even one of the alternatives without any of the file filters. This doesn't mean much except that pirating becomes more and more common. The RIAA probably wouldn't even see much of a spike in record sales, if any at all.
If they win the case, a hell of a lot of people hate the RIAA for destroying something of the free spirit of the internet (I don't care that it isn't really in the spirit of freeness, or really what exactly the spirit of the internet really is (I've always thought of it as defined by popular opinion)). It really doesn't sound like the RIAA has too much to gain from this. They're not gonna push any legislation through, because it takes too long. They can't keep sueing every person who puts up a Napster like server, because in a short while, there will be no centralization. They have better uses for their money. So why are they suing?
Might the RIAA want to *lose* this whole thing? I know it's a totally ludicrous idea, but this would be perhaps one of the greatest acts of free publicity that the RIAA could ever pull... I don't see any direct gain for them... but just about everything has it's hidden ups and downs... I have a feeling that a loss for the RIAA might not be as bad for them as we all think. Supposing the RIAA sought out good AND technically oriented lawyers? I wonder if perhaps they would expect said lawyers to perform at something less than the best of their abilities, as most of you out there would, were you confronted by the RIAA and saw, with that mind that sees the broader picture of effects (or maybe even the simple, "I want my free music" Joe Schmoes as well). Let me reiterate everyone else out there... this is NOT the end of music on the internet... if code is going to be recognized as a form of expression, then there will always be some form of filesharing out there... as time passes, things will simply before more complex and, despite that, I think that it will become more common.
You know, I bet that the RIAA execs use Napster. I bet their lawyers use Napster. I bet their kids use Napster. If use could be traced back to them... and publicized... I think they'd never hear the end of it.
You all aware of the whole Seven Degrees of Separation thing? You (yes, you, every one of you) knows everyone else (well, almost anyone, excluding very secluded villages) on the planet. Through your connections. You know a guy who knows a gal, who's father is an agent who knows Meg Ryan. You know how it works, right? That's the basis for Gnutella. Use those connections, people, if you would do your fellow man, women, child, or even a scrawny little computer nerd sitting in a darkened room. You know the lawyers, the execs, the janitor who didn't do so great a job of destroying those RIAA contract drafts, whether you know it or not... use them. Maybe even have a word or two with the guys. All those movements (open source, free music... whatever) that come through slashdot have a viewpoint that needs to be spread through the public. A law is only as good as it's enforced... give em hell where pirating music is concerned, but, whether you yourself mean to or not,also spread the word that this all calms down and purchases resume at higher levels once A) record prices go down. B)the RIAA starts shaping up. C)another form of distribution solidifies.
--Just some guy who heard something from someone who's fairly close to someone who DOES know some of the questions we probably should be asking but haven't
