Napster Rears Its Ugly Head... Again

[wonder]

Two, music-as-a-learned-craft has been devalued. And I understand why. It's become ubiquitous; it's hard to think of places where it's not piped in. That is, it's constantly available, and seemingly for free (although, of course, it's not free). Music's lost its exclusivity. It used to be, if you wanted to hear an act, you either went to see them play or paid for the recording -- few other options, shy of Don Kirshner's Rock Concert and the odd cereal box 45. Now, songs are everywhere: Fuddruckers, urinals, a kazillion cable tv stations, satellite radio, at shoe-level as I walk through some shopping areas.

good point!

[David Jones]

"angry consumer?"

No, its not angry consumers...
IMHO there is a new breed of people, The Slacker!
They have no respect for anything or anybody.
They would rather sit on their ass than work for a living.
Why should they spend good money for the music they listen to,
when they can steal it and listen for free.

And then there is the business rip off!
Like the Ad agency that claimed they stopped using the voiceover at the end of a 13 week run, but continue to run the ad for the next year.
Or the TV station that leased your custom music pkg. with a one year license, declined renewal, but continued to use your music pkg. for all of their news programs till caught.

It's plain and simple... It doesn't matter what you take,
stealing is stealing.

[wonder]

David...DOWN BOY!!! DoWn!!!!

I sense your anger.....i've it too.

i was screwed (sans lube) BIG TIME in 2003 and almost again recently.

I'm looking out for me

[chrispick]

Originally posted by David Jones:
IMHO there is a new breed of people, The Slacker! They have no respect for anything or anybody. They would rather sit on their ass than work for a living.

I've worked with people who put in sixteen hour days, seven days a week, for months on end, with all-nighters at the gig's finale -- and they steal music. And they're commercial artists themselves.

Essentially, if it's computer-portable and they can get it free, they partake in the bounty.

I guess that raises point number three: The ephemeral-like nature of digital content. I think it must feel less like stealing when the thefted material is translated and removed from its concrete, tactile origins. Look at cracked software as another example.

[Don T]

Hello:
I can't go with the argument that so-n-so made a butt load of money so I don't mind stealing from him. To continue the logic, those people should let the poor or homeless come and take food from their fridges cuz they have so much more than the poor do. Or maybe drive over to the ritzy part of town and get a new TV, after all they have 5 of them. They are not going to miss one. Have I been ripped off by a record company? Can you spell D-I-S-N-E-Y. Once I let a very talented 11 year old and her mother get the best of me. Hard lessons learned about being an artist and a business man.

[wonder]

Don, I FEEL YOUR PAIN!!!

I had a similar situation and i really frown heavily upon stealing music ... no matter what the excuse may be