Re: FLASH: [OT] Napster and Macster opinions among the Flasher Group

[Jon Williams]

I support *completely* repealing (or at least *seriously*

overhauling) US copyright law.


Information wants to be free. See the "cathedral and the bazaar." etc.etc.

Let's say your favorite band comes out with a new album. They

sell it in the stores for $16. Your *band* makes ... what, between

25 cents and $1.25 depending on their contract? Now, you burn

an MP3 of that album and distribute it (vicariously) to a few

hundred thousand people on the internet. How many of those people

"just wanted to check them out and see if they liked them"?

How many of those are going to show up during the next tour that

wouldn't have w/o the freebie listen?


The debate has nothing to do with the artists. The artists don't make

jack off album sales. The record companies do. The record companies

no longer control the means of production and distribution, and now

they're scared. Rightly so. They've been ripping us off to the tune of

$10-$12 a disc and expect us not to turn the tables? ha. ha.


Now, argument to the counter-argument: if music is free, and NOBODY

buys the album, how are the artists expected to survive? Fair question.

The answer is that we have to fundamentally change the relationship

between artists and fans. Got a favorite band? Get their music for free

and send them $10. That's 10 times (or more) what they get from an

album sale. Pissed off that Sonoc Yoth can't come to your city on the

next tour? did you send 'em any cash? no? guess you don't care enough...

"They broke up?! What do you mean they broke up?!" You want

capitalism? I've got your capitalism right here...


get the idea? so is the backstreet'sync-of-the-month going to like this

idea? no. does the public really care? (*giggle*snort*) um...no.


Looks to me like the only people left complaining are the ones who

aren't getting rich anymore. Sorry boys. We don't need you. Get a job.


Now, one *might* say this translates to software. MacRaMadia comes

out with a spankin' new software product ... and they distribute it for

free. Like it? I suggest you send them a few hundred bucks...if you

want it to succeed...if you want a version II...if you want support...


Will this be a difficult transition? Of course. Do I think it's possible?

Of course. Will the MAN stand for it? Of course not. Does he have a choice?

Not really. At the end of the day, everyone knows that it's now impossible

to enforce copyright law. We might as well shift the whole paradigm

while it's still in flux.


my $0.02

-jon




Wayne Townsend wrote:


> Hey group!

>

> If you even care to join in,

>

> What are your opinions about the Napster, Macster trend, and raging

> debate in all the major newspapers, radio & TV?

>

> Is it [OT] sure/ not so sure,

> but it's not OT really when you consider that Flashers are in the

> forefront on web design and there are many debates that go on here

> regarding artist copyright issues and distribution.

>

> We all know the Record Industry opposing view, but

>

> One carefully considered opinion in favor of Napster/ Macster, is this:

>

> "It goes beyond the music industry.  Just as the web gave many

> mainstream people a *reason* to even own a computer, and has pushed

> computer sales (and the developer audience)  *way* beyond

> expectations from a few years ago, ie. many people today buy a

> computer just to get onto the web, Napster does the same thing in

> regard to people getting high-bandwidth connections. Music is a

> great, great carrot for people to get high-speed (DSL) connections.

> Mainstream high-bandwidth connection will make a huge difference in

> what media providers like Flashers can do, and presumably benefit

> everybody.  All this goes *way* beyond the music industry."

>

> Sooo, is music the trigger for high speed bandwidth adoption by the

> masses which benefits all, including both providers and consumers?

> Or is this all just a huge ripoff of artists?

>

> I can assure you that both Music Industry & Web Industry guys are

> listening to the opinions from this list, the most important list on

> the web.  I posted this because I was asked to.

>

> So now's your chance as developers and talent to make your opinion heard.

>

> Do it, these notes will be submitted to congress.

>

> Pls, no BS, just real opinions, by real artists.

>

> /w

>

> flasher is generously supported by...

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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>                   www.flashforward2000.com

>    Produced by United Digital Artists and lynda.com

>  Sponsored by Macromedia, Adobe Systems, Fusion, Inc, AtomFilms,

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http://www.chinwag.com/flasher or email helpchinwag [dot] com

flasher is generously supported by...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

     flashforward2000 and the Flash(tm) Film Festival

 July 24-26, 2000, NEW YORK CITY, Hammerstein Ballroom

                  www.flashforward2000.com

   Produced by United Digital Artists and lynda.com

 Sponsored by Macromedia, Adobe Systems, Fusion, Inc, AtomFilms,

           shockwave.com and Electric Rain.

 1.877.4.FLASH.4  or (1.805.640.6679 outside the US and Canada)

 Register before June 30 and save $200!!-- www.flashforward2000.com

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

To unsubscribe or change your list settings go to

http://www.chinwag.com/flasher or email

helpchinwag [dot] com