RIAA Says No To Transferring Legally Purchased Music From CD To PC

Washington Post:

Despite more than 20,000 lawsuits filed against music fans in the years since they started finding free tunes online rather than buying CDs from record companies, the recording industry has utterly failed to halt the decline of the record album or the rise of digital music sharing.

Still, hardly a month goes by without a news release from the industry's lobby, the Recording Industry Association of America, touting a new wave of letters to college students and others demanding a settlement payment and threatening a legal battle.

Read the whole story: Washington Post

Comments

[Sachem515]

So...... in other words the "Import CD" button is iTunes is illegal?

The earth is not flat, and this is ridiculous. There is "fair use" of material for which a license (the disc) has been purchased. And besides this is so last year. BitTorrents are flowing through the tubz as we speak and the artistic community is willing to adapt, but not the lawyers.

Most of the musicians I know appreciate the opportunity to connect directly with people who like their music without the intermediate of some schmuck in a suit who rocks to the BeeGees on the oldies FM station.

[revko]

Is one of the A's in RIAA stand for "anal"?

Maybe it's time for more MUSIC and less BUSINESS in the music business

[Jimbeaux]

2008 could be quite a year for RIAA - they're also setting themselves up for a really good fight with the National Association of Broadcasters.

Congress considers bill to make radio "pay to play"
http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071219-congress-considers-bill-to-make-radio-pay-to-play.html

[FogBelter]

The RIAA actually pays Lawyers for coming up with this kind of brilliance?

[FirstShirt]

Ah, I miss the low tech days when I would put 6 vinyl long play albums on a reel to reel and have hours of listening pleasure with no disks to change or worry about. I tried to find some blank cassete tapes this week and the young clerks looked at me like I was from another planet. The copyright laws always applied even back in the day. Unless you have some nut trying to sell another party's product, it is unenforceable.

[GoodbyeKitty]

What's next?
Will they go after people who use their ears to'steal' songs broadcast on the radio?

[plages]

Oh my god, you're now a criminal, right along with OBL! Stop buying these little circular dollar making things for CEO's, and just down load directly from the web, or better yet, directly from the artist! Yep, no middle man!

[godlessclif]

One of the most downloaded U-Tube hits
by Weird Al.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz-grdpKVqg
Don't Download this song.

You start out stealing songs
And you end up robbing stores
And selling crack
And running over school kids with your car.

[stargazer13]

well well I guess we no who's gonna fill those empty beds at the local private prison near you ! It will be us who have bought music on cd and had the nerve to play it on our computer! go figure
what are you in for playing blaze of glory and you
I am in for playing Nora Jones yes I can see it all now what a bleak future for all of us who love music

I had no Idea that when I bought music that I needed to buy a lawyer to go with

[spitar1]

As a musician it used to be the holy grail to get a record deal. Now musicians don't need them. Recording equipment is inexpensive and you can distribute your music via the internet or you're on pressed c.d.'s through social networking sites, amazon, ebay, c.d. baby and it's easy to have your music placed on iTunes and other various mp3 services. For next to nothing you can own your own studio that makes good quality recordings, keep the rights to all your songs, distribute your material easily and keep any and all money made from your sales (minus a few dollars here and there for fees to different distribution sites). A band can make more pocket money these days selling a few thousand copies of their songs or albums than they could before with record company who advanced them millions and they need to pay that back. Record companies are dying out like the dinosaurs. They're lashing out in a last ditch attempt at survival like cornered animals.

It won't happen overnight...but the record companies days are numbered.

DIY

[BrickSykes]

Shouldn't this be a management concern for the RIAA folks? Sounds like they need to tweak the business end...I mean, they ARE the Experts in Commerce, right? They seem to be relying on the Government (Law) to sort out their screw-up for them.

I guess they're using the automobile model, i.e., "we'll sell you the car but the government will dictate how you can use it." See, the car is not really yours to use as you see fit.

I'm guessing that the only solution to this dilemma is for Congress to pass laws that would make Greed illegal.

Brick

[OhComeOnNow]

I stopped buying CDs years ago for that very reason. If the RIAA could figure how to charge for each time you listen to tune on a CD you ALREADY OWN, they would do it in a heartbeat - greedy bastards.

[aninconvenientgay]

Well, if that's the way the RIAA wants to be, then maybe I'll just stop buying CDs altogether and stick to downloading individual tracks from iTunes. I don't see any reason to support an industry that's so determined to alienate its own customers like this.

[geobushono]

People will always find music they LOVE....the best music is in clubs and small venues.
Music is free.......music business is not.

[TruEngineHearing]

The entire world has made up its mind - people want their music on a portable MP3 player.

If it is illegal to copy a CD to an iPod or Zune, then who needs to buy a CD? It is cheaper to buy music directly from the internet.

There goes your CD business you massively stupid RIAA old-time fucks.