Can anything save the music business?
Since 1999, CD unit sales have plunged 26 percent -- a decline of $2 billion -- thanks in part to file-sharing services and other forms of digital piracy. The record labels' frustration is so acute that the Recording Industry Association of America has begun suing hundreds of consumers who have exchanged music on peer-to-peer networks like Kazaa, Morpheus, and Gnutella. But what technology giveth, can it taketh away? The industry hopes so: This month the first copy-protected CDs are expected to start showing up on music-store shelves in the United States. And that's great news for the one or more lucky companies whose music-locking tech will be adopted. Even by modest estimates, licensing fees will amount to more than $100 million annually.
News source: CNN
Since 1999, CD unit sales have plunged 26 percent -- a decline of $2 billion -- thanks in part to file-sharing services and other forms of digital piracy. The record labels' frustration is so acute that the Recording Industry Association of America has begun suing hundreds of consumers who have exchanged music on peer-to-peer networks like Kazaa, Morpheus, and Gnutella. But what technology giveth, can it taketh away? The industry hopes so: This month the first copy-protected CDs are expected to start showing up on music-store shelves in the United States. And that's great news for the one or more lucky companies whose music-locking tech will be adopted. Even by modest estimates, licensing fees will amount to more than $100 million annually.
News source: CNN
2.21.54 Version - 06/09/2003
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****ing idiots
So in the law, you are stuck in a tail chasing that never ends, yes you can lawfully make a copy, but you can not break the copy-protection on the disk.
As for copying I know a few programs (legal ones that a few people use) that are able to copy some copy protected CDs. Won't name the software, just because don't feel like the RIAA or anyone should stop people from fair use. Then again the best way, as I do, don't buy the copy protected CD (I do follow that rule, with one exception so far, because the music was really worth it).
For a possible solution to all this copy-protection/RIAA suing stuff, check out one of my replies down below.
Last edited by 22726 on 11 Sep 2003 - 02:07
While CDS200 protected cd's work in your PC, they only work by using a winamp 2x clone player that plays back very poor quality compressed audio.
I now check every album I think about buying for copy protection - if its present it stays on the shelf.
Prepare to be trusted
The RIAA hopes they can make it so that audio CDs count under the DMCA. The problem is the decision was already made many years ago, and that was that it is legal to make backups.
I hope they don't succeed and they get called on this. I thought it was illegal to restrict what is considered fair use.
And I'll buy CDs and return them just for the sake of doing it to piss people off!
No, they are one reason why CD sales are down. People don't like being told which OS they can listen to CDs in, and on which software players - some standalone audio players can't even play them so some see it even as them telling us which CD players we have to use.
I will never buy a copyprotected cd.
I have gone to recordstores to buy a cd a couple of times already, just to find it was copyprotected, so I put it back in its place and left. Stupid recordcompanies.
No. Fewer and fewer people are going to actually purchase CDs if they can't play them in half of the devices they own. Rip-proof CDs have been emperically shown to fail in several compact disk playing devices. Who wants to buy a cd that has a high chance that it won't work? Combine that with many store policies that won't let you return an already-opened CD, and you have yourself a recipe for drastic decline in sales.
"CD unit sales have plunged 26 percent ...thanks in part to file-sharing services and other forms of digital piracy"
Funny how they don't mention the fact that people just might not want purchase a CD because they don't like the music. *shrug*
Case in point: "But even if everyone's system works flawlessly, will the new CDs improve sales? Don't bet on it. ...In Germany and Japan, where the labels began selling copy-protected CDs in 2000, sales have continued to decline."
like j.reed said, i buy cds and then copy them so if i drop one in the car or someone steals my entire cd wallet (has happened before) i'm not out of the master copy, plus i like taking 2 30-40min cds and conserving space with them on 1 freakin' cd!
a tip for the riaa, remove head from rectum...then think.
i own a couple and its a joke really, all you have to do to get them to rip is put a piece of tape over the data portion of the cd - hey presto it no longer blocks ripping
silly fools
With that form of protection yes, a marker or piece of tape can circumvent it.
However, there are other forms that can watermark music or do various other things. The problem with these is not only does this prevent you from making legal backups, now it's negatively affecting audio quality too!
If people buy copy protected albums, then want to rip the tracks but can't because of copy protection, they will download the tracks, instead. And while they're downloading those tracks, maybe they'll download a couple more albums.
This isn't rational. I don't know of a single copy protected album that hasn't made it onto the P2P networks.
Copy protection is inconvenient and infringes on my right to enjoy my albums.
no matter what, music is sound, and sound is ALWAYS easy to capture.
i love this cartoon
check this cartoon out
lol
http://www.riaa.com/news/marketingdata/pdf/2002consumerprofile.pdf
now look over total sales figures for the last 10 years... is file swapping killing the industry? or is it cyclical like EVERY OTHER INDUSTRY IN AMERICA that is sucking right now.... Not to mention the fact the the entire industry is dominated by only 5 labels all of whom are too chicken to release anything other than regurgitated crap! Could it be that currently released music sucks too hard to buy?
Nope. That would be WAY too obvious.
The RIAA is hung up on downloading being at fault here. They need to wake up and understand that they are focusing on the wrong things. No matter what steps they take there will always be ways around it, the key is to make it consumer friendly, and the direction they are headed is far from consumer friendly.
Do they realize that CD's get stolen from stores also? Yet that is catagorized as an "acceptable loss" . The reason is because they used to have them in ugly security cases (some places still do), which is costly for the stores to maintain. It was found though that putting them out without them saved money and increased sales. Some amount of theft is to be expected in this cruel world, but close up things too much and even honest people will stop buying your products.
I remember years ago, before downloading, I would often record songs from the radio that I liked onto cassette, and I know I wasn't alone in that. You didn't hear the RIAA getting all pissed off about that. Sure the quality wasn't as good as CD ripping is, but when something is free, you can sacrifice a little quality.
Here is hoping the RIAA works more on improving record product, making it easier to test out CD's in the stores (some places still don't allow that, to me it increases sales). They need to make it easier and affordable for music lovers to want to make the purchase rather than seek alternatives.
So if the music industry released absolutely the highest quality productions the P2P networks would disappear and copying would stop . Yeah right !!
Its not a matter of if it is hurting the industry or not , it is illegal .
In New zealand the Copyright Act 1994 provides that it is illegal to make copies of CD's Tapes , LP's ( those vinyl things).To down load copyrighted material from the the Internet. It does not allow the mistaken belief that a personnal use copy can be made, including ripping to MP3 to play on a portable device.
Simple if you buy a CD you have the right to use that CD for you on pleasure. You CANNOT copy it in any manner what so ever.
SOFTWARE
Section 80 of the aforementioned act allows for the production of a back up copy of software if you own the original and can only be made from the original and is only legal to retain as long as you own the original.
RECORDING FROM PUBLIC BROADCAST
Section 84 of the act provides that for the purposes of "time shifting" a recording of a broadcast can be made and retained until it has been viewed or heard . This can be retianed longer if you wish to complain about content etc to an appropriate tribunal. It is not intended that such recordings are retained indefinately
I would suggest that everyone check the statutes of their own countries very carefully and determine what is legal or not.
http://www.zeropaid.com/news/articles/auto/08262003m.php (or click here)
By using the Canadian method, copying can be made and the music industry still get their fair share. Does it make personal copying ok? The law here already allows it. Does it make copying song for others to have legal (or sharing for that matter)? No, it's still violate copyright laws, but instead of policing constantly everyone that can be doing it, a tax is collected on all recordable media (the law could be ammended to include HDs, flash memory, etc.). The police only uses its resources for the big offenders who copy for profit (not the, for example, 12-year olds who may be doing it without knowing and not for profit, etc). This helps also de-criminalize all those people who do buy CDs, since they are not precieved as the enemy, like the RIAA is doing in the States (talk about bad PR).
Which brings me to the point of the copy-protected CDs: they really aren't necessary (and, I avoid them like the plague, only buy CDs I really want and that are not protected). They simply make it harder for people that buy CDs to port their music to MP3 players or make their own mix CDs, and annoying them in the process. Luckly, there have not been alot of copy protected CD (for now), and I hope it does not change (or that they vanish from the market). Money would be more spent on paying artists, cultivating talent (if that concept actually still exists), paying the songwriters and making it easier to actually get music legally (iTunes is an example of that), even hard to find music (which may be available only on file sharing networks or scant copies on eBay).
Of course, the whole tax on recordable media might scare off some (but it's hidden in the price, and CD-R/Ws are cheap here, just as DVD-R/+R/Ws are getting) except it's a functional solution to the problem, not just an "idea". Besides, the music industry here in Canada did lobby for it
Last edited by 22726 on 11 Sep 2003 - 00:21
What a moronic argument.
And I agree that a lot of downloaders want freebies. The solution in Canada would (with some future modifications) takes these file downloaders into consideration. Again, it's not perfect, but it beats the hell out of suing everyone (at least pick those that try to make money off of it) and makes the consumer who buys his music a customer again (not a criminal).
Last edited by 22726 on 11 Sep 2003 - 00:47
Ban Burners
Ban TV card
Ban Blank CD's
Ban Radio/Stereo's/everything that can allow you to copy
Ban TV
Ban VCR's/VCD's Player/DVD player
there, problem solve.
off course, with no player to play the CD's/DVD's/VCD's............who would buy?
Das mah 2cents
whee! another great excuse for RIAA to keep the prices jacked up.
wonderful.
"no matter what, music is sound, and sound is ALWAYS easy to capture."
pure gold i love this.
the odds of the record industry stopping file sharing.
are the same odds. micheal jackson turning black again.