This may be a bloody horse, but it’s certainly not going down any time soon. As if it weren’t enough to have Michael Green stand up and go off on how the fans have to protect their favorite artists from being thrown out on the street, Disney CEO, Michael Eisner chimes in. During a Senate Commerce Committee hearing last Thursday, Eisner slammed Apple’s “Rip, Mix, Burn” ad campaign saying, “that they can create a theft if they buy this computer.”
Someone call the FBI, because IÃm a thief. Not only do I rip, mix, and burn, but I share those mixes and burns with people. IÃm doing you a favor. IÃm not of the opinion that music (or movies) should be free, but as I stated before, if it werenÃt for file sharing and P2P (Peer to Peer) communications, I might not have picked up the latest CD by one of your artists. ItÃs ok, you donÃt have to thank me.
My love for Apple aside, that is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever heard. Yes, Apple was blatant about it’s message, but that’s like saying Black & Decker should be blamed for the Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Sure, Apple makes the tools to allow people to pirate music. So does every other computer manufacturer. Single Apple out if you want to, but the truth of the matter is you are shitting your pants and really don’t know what to do about any of this piracy. Don’t even get me started on how Microsoft is to blame for all of the pornography available to children (and adults) because of a product called Internet Explorer.
Again, while you scramble for a solution, the kids are going to be ten steps ahead of you. You will not win. None of you will win until you look at this issue with corrective lenses. Take your green-tinted glasses off and hire a few kids that know more than you do. Slim down your operations and farm out your promotions and marketing needs to people that give a shit about your artists and movies. Did I mention I was unemployed and am a rampant music fan with a few good ideas?
Did I mention: I’ve never owned a burner. I don’t know if I ever intend to own a burner. I rip CD’s onto my PC and keep them as MP3s. I have a Sony Mini-Disc Recorder and a portable MP3 player by Nomad. What does all this American Captialistic Commercial Nonsense add up to? Possibility. This whole Rip Burn Whatever issue is so out of hand even my Welsh Corgi has an opinion and he only knows maybe five words in the English language.
The plain and simple fact is what Brad already higlighted. Nobody can stop it. There is more money being made on the hardware to burn and mix songs on computers than there is being “lost” (according to industry types) on music files. I’ve never heard that discussed yet, and I’m not THAT full of original ideas; I may write bad poetry but I have a melon on my shoulders. You know, it’s that stupid American bottom line. The PC industry (Mac and otherwise) is booming. Good PCs are becoming cheaper by the second as more powerful processors and factory costs adjust. I bought my shit-ass PC three years ago, archaic on technophiles terms, and it even had a burner option back then. But I have not gone for it. my friends have, as I mentioned before. I use theirs when I can, but only when I can. MP3 players and Mini-Discs are fine with me…and it comes down to the same fact that Moby brought up in the link Brad offered yesterday. I like buying CDs while I can. I like liner notes. I like even holding CDs in the store and not buying them. I like the art that goes into CD casing, it’s all about aesthetics.
Kids, don’t play with fire, and burn all the damn CDs you want, nonbody with an ethical stick will hit you, in fact some may want to come play at your house and download new Linkin Park songs….hey you might even go out and buy some ooohey goohey turntables and be a vinyl slut and bandwagon jumper…
Hear Hear JD and Brad.
I agree with your point JD about the aesthetics of the package. How many times have I bought an expensive cd, salivated on the way home only to open and find a double ply board with a few sketchy details, no instruemtation or production credits and zero rereadability appeal. Now the 12″ vinyl (size not maxi single) had something, size and glossy content. The advent of CD’s have seen the consumer feeling the pinch in the wallet and on the eyes. Give us something to fight for, put something in your defense, Prices up, quality of final product down – Buyers?????
Also so many quality artists are being shunted around by Labels and MP3’s allow them to channel their own distribution and sales. Matt Johnson from THEthe after being kicked from EPIC records made his whole album available via his website with some of the most cutting comments I’ve ever read about the music industry.
Final Word – The capitalistic ethos reigns supreme. As long as we want to listen to music and own it ths buy it, we will be forced into the highest price bracket. Economics 101 – narrow supply and you force up the demand. IE. if you dig the left of centre non-top20 artists you’re at their mercy Amigo!
Alvin