Re: Will the Governmet/RIAA play fair? (Score 1)

Goverments have a need to protect themselves? I dont think so... Governments have a need to protect ME - that's who they work for. I'm the one that pays the taxes that keep them in business. Any government that considers me the outsider is not a government - it's a police state.

A couple more (slightly unsober) thoughts...

The RIAA is protecting it's Intellectual Property - and quite rightly. However, the RIAA didn't _create_ the IP - they're just administering it "on behalf" of the artist under a contract which I'm sure is written very much in favour of the RIAA. I'd like to see a music business where the artist had more say in how their IP was presented ("More advertising or I'm going to mp3.com where they've got real coverage") and not have to put up with whatever it takes to get a contract today...

The whole Napster/RIAA court case will, I hope, cause the RIAA to examine itself in the light of new technology (ideas & hardware) and evolve to a more sympathetic business model which encompasses the Napsterites/artists/distributors and record companies and their idea of how music should be obtained.

ian, Guitarist & Sysadmin

http://www.exmachina.freeserve.co.uk