Because pressing lawsuits against teenagers isn’t patriotic enough, apparently.

The RIAA continues to amaze me;

http://gear.ign.com/articles/749/749883p1.html

The RIAA, on December 1st, 2006, filed claims with Copyright Royalty Judges in order to federally-enforce an alteration to current music royalties distribution (essentially get the government to OK this). Their arguments stem around the mainstream music industry wanting to cash in on the explosion of varying mediums that “their” musical properties can be used in which are currently going to the artists. You remember them, right? They’re the guys and girls who write the songs and perform them for you.

To sum it up, somehow the new trend of musical ring tones (every time you buy one, the money goes to the artist) and the supposed “free publicity” that bootlegging and downloading affords to artists these days skews profits unfavorably in the favor of artists and bands. Thus, in an issue that hasn’t been debated since the 1980’s, the music industry feels that it wants its so-called “fair share” of money that it says the artists are making thanks to the very things that are apparently killing the music industry.

Never mind that the real reasons for the declining sales in mainstream artists isn’t illegal downloading, but less-than-memorable and downright awful music (in fact, music sales have gone up in certain fields in the past few years, while the slack of poor major-label sales is evened out, not overloaded, thanks to paid download services, ring tones, etc). The RIAA is now attempting to paint artists as the true villains here and themselves as the poor and dedicated servants of the entertainment industry, trying hard to keep their heads above water in order to properly bring US the consumers the media distractions/entertainment we crave.

That the recording industry really thinks that their corporate bigwigs are going to be able to pass themselves off as the victims here, as opposed to money-hungry vultures who, having failed to anticipate technology changing the face of music in the past few years (and finding a way to exploit it entirely to their liking), is highly unlikely. Rather, they are hoping that the copyright courts, composed of even more rich white men like themselves, will feign sympathy and privately agree that you can never make too much money.

What is truly important here, however, is more than just a redistribution of wealth, but also how this ruling could affect smaller independent artists and labels. Granted, most indie labels don’t pay that much in music royalties to bands (who make the majority of their money through merchandise and touring), but there are still some long-running independent bands that do get royalties. How would this affect labels and bands at that level? Would there have to be a necessary redistribution of money from bands to labels if they naturally don’t make that much in music royalties/sales to begin with? And those bands that do (long-running Fat Wreck acts No Use For A Name and Strung Out comes to mind), will they suddenly find themselves with a steady (albeit not that big) stream of partial income cut off? What if label heads at this label like Fat’s Mike Burkett or Dischord’s Ian McKaye, long-running DIY underground supporters, don’t want this money? Where’s it go?

You know, if the RIAA just came out and said “We’re greedy sumbitches, but what’re you gonna do about it?” I probably wouldn’t be as mad about this. Because I hate lying righteous assholes more than plain old regular assholes.

Even though someone can always argue that no matter what end of the spectrum of the music industry you work in, from the major labels to the small independent ones run out of an apartment bedroom, it’ll always be about the money in some aspect. That may be so, but when major corporations who make money hand over fist every day from unfair business deals that are meant to control artistic property and the artists themselves body and soul, comparing it in any way at all to the heart of good independent labels who more often than not loose money on releases is just a crime.

Thanks to www.punknews.org for initially posting this link yesterday.

Tags: News //