< Die RIAA, Die!
Out of context: Reply #50
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- Blofeldt0
Well, everyone here's certainly hot and bothered about the RIAA.
I've read some quite disturbing and naive arguments about helping artists by not buying records, suggesting artists should go it alone.File sharing, no matter how you dress it up, is stealing. You are taking someone's hard work and enjoying it without paying the author any money. I don't agree that fining some kid is a good response, but stealing is wrong.
Now, before you all grab some pitch forks and torches and come and do me in, let me explain.
Imagine just organising one tour for 6 piece band from the UK to America for 1 month and the logistics involved. You have to buy plane tickets for the people and their equipment, accommodation for the group and manager, food, transport, support crews at each venue, promotion (that's you, graphic designers), visas, permits, petrol, and the band have to be paid for the time they're on tour. It soon adds up to a mammoth sum, which has to be paid out IN ADVANCE of receiving door receipts.Generally a band by themselves have neither the time to organise this (musicians have to practice) or the money to fund such an adventure. This is where your money goes, and this is why the RIAA are so active in trying to stop piracy. Large record companies stump up the cash for tours and records in advance. I do agree that they can be CUNTS but they are ultimately the ones collect the money that pays for musicians to play music for your enjoyment.
I've been a professional musician and encountered this idea that musicians don't need paying, like it spoils the purity of the artistic output all my life. As if they should only do it for the enjoyment, it takes them no time and is easy! It isn't like that. Try practising for 3 hours a day every day, for 15 years and see how you feel when you meet someone who's bragging about copying something you've played on and you can't afford a pint. If you want to be good enough to perform and bring enjoyment at the highest level you need to devote your whole life to it, not just evenings and weekends.
Musicians have to eat too, it takes many long years of practice, hard work and devotion to be good enough to make a living out of music. If you enjoy the results you should pay! You do not have a god given right to own and enjoy music. It is not air. Lots of people spend they're whole lives bringing it to you and they should be rewarded for their efforts.