Music; By the People for the People
The rights of the people to download music freely
By Andrew Gewirtz
The music industry has seen incredible changes in the past ten years. Advancements in mass communication and specifically the music industry have been greatly affected by dependency on the Internet. We live in age of social networking including Twitter, Facebook, Tumbler, MySpace and Youtube. These tools allow us to communicate, share and broadcast ourselves in ways we have never dreamed of before. However, the economic impact of illegal media file sharing remains a controversial subject.
One study concludes that illegal downloading of music actually had a positive impact on the distribution of music. Jeff Weisbein explains in his article Illegal Music Downloading: Look At The Facts, “Interestingly, an examination of the RIAA’s marketing and sales charts shows that the real decrease in CD sales actually began in earnest after Napster ceased operating. In fact, during the 2 1/2 years that Napster was operating, CD sales increased by over $500 million dollars from what they were in 1998. Since 2001, CD sales have continued to decrease steadily.” Napster was creating more music awareness to the public. When Napster was forced to shut down, it was as if music listeners lost all respect for the idea of buying CD’s, causing an incredible increase of illegal fire sharing.
The act of paying for music has slowly started to fade out. Despite the convenience of free music, it remains illegal to download media without payment. Downloading violates copyright laws that are owned by the producers. Public Domain Music, a reference for copyright regulations explains, “Authors own the exclusive rights to their compositions. This is called a copyright, and the composition is protected for many years--even if the copyright is never registered with the copyright office. A composition is considered to be "intellectual property" The copyright may be sold, transferred, or inherited--but the copyright still endures.” Due to the rise in file sharing, the music industry must find a way to make access to “intellectual property” free in order to be distributed on the broadest media platform around the world, otherwise the equality of music distribution for consumers and producers remains imbalanced.
Record companies use their rights to “intellectual property” to prevent any further financial loss to record sales. An example of copyright revenge is the 2007 court case RIAA vs. Tanenbaum. “The Recording Industry Association of America is suing Joel Tenenbaum, a 24-year-old graduate student at Boston University, for downloading at least seven songs and making more than 800 others available over the peer-to-peer file sharing system Kazaa in 2004. The companies are seeking $12,000 in damages, and have refused Mr. Tenenbaum’s offer to pay $500 to settle the matter” (World Law Direct). After discovering that Tanenbaum had downloaded dozens of illegal files, RIAA sought to create awareness of copyright laws by implementing a heavy consequence.
The Digital Theft Deterrence Act, determines the amount of money that people will have to pay if they violate certain copy write laws. “The digital Theft Deterrence Act sets damages of $750 to $30,000 for each infringement, and as much as $150,000 for a willful violation. That means Tenenbaum could be forced to pay $1 million if it is determined that his alleged actions were willful.” (World Law Direct) These fines that are supported by the digital theft deterrence act are seemingly un-constitutional for the rights of downloader’s. It is impossible to measure intellectual property with dollar signs. Without harsh force from the RIAA or other entertainment corporations, the people would not feel threatened, and might financially support this industry voluntarily.
It is understood that if you really work hard on something, you want to be given credit for your work. That’s why bands like Radio Head have taken a new approach by allowing its fans to pay whatever amount of money they want for an album. Radio Head released a statement saying that “We’re prepared to take a risk and we might come out looking very foolish. But we believe if your music is great, then people will pay for it” (BLOGS Bnet). By creating a non-threatening message to their fan base, and providing a legal medium for them to access the music, fans were not afraid to download or discover or circulate work of Radio Head’s work.
The experiment of voluntary funding created a new movement for the entertainment industry. It welcomed fans to not only make a choice to consume, but to rate the worth of the product through their payment. “Radio Head was pleased to find that their fans were willing to pay for there music. ComScore (NSDQ: SCOR) data (via release) shows 1.2 million people visited the site in the first 29 days of October (it was launched at the start of the month). The average price paid globally was $6. Americans were more generous, paying an average of up to $8.05 . Including those who did not donate created an average of $2.26 on a worldwide basis and $3.23 from Americans. The most common amount offered was below $4, but 12 percent were willing to pay between $8 and $12, around the typical cost of an album from iTunes. (Blogs Bnet). Radio Head proved that if your going to sell your music today that the best way to do it is sell it for what its worth. Meaning assume that it’s going to be stolen but have faith that your fans we’ll pay for the full quality version.
Overall, Illegal file sharing is just another example of something that our government has yet to regulate consistently. The expansion of Web 2.0 and social networking has become too large to completely control. Music is simply another formation of freedom of speech. It’s hard to imagine that a country like China that does not allow Youtube, Google or Facebook. It is equally drastic that the U.S government allows for copyright holders to sue citizens for millions of dollars for easily accessible and unregulated files. It is clear that the access to Web 2.0 must no longer cause consequence for consumers. While the producers of entertainment industries should have rights and access to profit for their works, they should not be allowed to persecute innocent
Monday, April 26, 2010
Friday, April 23, 2010
Ten Revelations
Copy Write
1. My first revelation about 21st century media is ironically about copy write issues. I decided for my final capitalism and democracy paper that I would explore the issue of illegal fire sharing. I discovered some really interesting aspects about how the government is having trouble dealing with illegal fire sharing. It’s estimated that over one billion tracks are exchanged on the Internet each month. This doesn’t compensate Apples Itunes only selling 2 billions songs since it was launched back in 2003. It’s also important to note that Itunes represents over 70% of all legal music downloading.
RIAA Vs. Tanenbaum
2. During this paper I also came across an incredibly interesting court case that made me re-think everything about record companies. The RIAA Vs. Tanenbaum. The recording industry Association of America sued Joel Yenebaum, a 24 year old graduate student at Boston University, for downloading seven songs and making more than 800 others available over Kazaa. I find it crazy how the RIAA is allowed by the U.S government to sue Joel Yenebaum up to 12,000 dollars because of the Digital Theft Deterrence Act. It shows that copy right holders have to much power and shouldn’t be allowed to sue people for what they consider criminal actions.
Check out my commentary on illegal music sharing. "Music for the people and by the people."
Rage Agaisnt the Machine
3. On the same topic of Record companies, I would have to believe that one of my biggest revelations about 21st century media came to me last year during Mass Media and Society. I don’ remember the women’s name but she brought up an incredibly interesting point about the Rage Against The Machine. It’s commonly known that Rage Against the Machine is a band that stands for going against large corporations and sticking it to the “man.” however, she brought up an extremely interesting point when she pointed out that Rage Against the Machine signed a contract with Sony, which is just another large media corporation.
Vision of Students Study
4. I had a revelation when I saw the video “vision of students today.” It made me feel better that I wasn’t the only one that was feeling strong about certain issues dealing with college. For example, buying hundred dollar textbooks you don’t use, knowing people who pay a lot of money for school but never go to class and how the contemporary education system today hasn’t really adapted to the modern day student. This youtube video helps support that the technology generation is much more fast paced and standard class rooms with teachers reading power points as lectures isn’t an effective way of teaching. I often sit and class and wonder when things are finally going to start to change. I feel that i'm lucky to go to Champlain College because there at least aware that college students are changing. I feel bad for students who go to large universities who have to set through long lectures all day.
Sustain Champlain
5. I found that doing the Sustain Champlain project was an awesome way to show how Champlain College is using various different types of techniques to be more environmentally friendly. It was a revelation to me because it shows a different way of retaining information. All the videos are short, sweet and to the point but they are all filled with incredibly valuable information. For example, low flow showerheads, energy efficient washer and driers and motion censored lights. I never even knew how the green roof worked until I watched some of the Sustain Champlain videos. I liked this project because it's shows the power of Web 2.0. If you have a class split up into groups and everyone makes a youtube clip for everyone to see, people are going to learn more because youtube videos are a great way to learn.
Reality T.V
6. I had a huge revelation when I read in Hilliard that not all reality T.V shows are scripted. I learned that most of these shows are built upon a story line or an outline and people just act upon the plot. I never knew this and made me really wonder about reality T.V. I still have trouble believing that shows likes Laguna Beach and the Hills have actor that are capable of improvisation. In general it was interesting to learn about how T.V shows are scripted because I like to write T.V shows but Hilliard made me realize that even with just an outline of a T.V you can make something happen with it. I feel like with new technologies like Nano's and Flip Cameras you can make a T.V out of anything.
Blogging
7. One of the biggest revelations I had about media in the 21st century is the power of blogs. One of my friends who started a blog about bmx bike riding. (I had media mediation about “the come up.”) I found it incredible that if you create a blog that everyone likes that companies we’ll pay you money to put there advertisements on it. It just makes me feel better about going to school knowing that people do become successful by using the powers of Web 2.0. Taking eletronic media writting has helped me figure out ways to make my blog stand out than others. Now, the biggest task is to find something to post about that the world we'll wan't to see.
A place with no Web 2.0
8. As we learned to Blog and Twitter this year in class I still have trouble imagining a world where you aren’t allowed to use social networking tools. I find the topic of how governments regulate media to be incredibly interesting because media has become to big for governments to control. I feel that the Internet is a beast of information that gives power to the people and this threatens how certain governments operate. Specially, I still have trouble getting my head around how China believes it’s ok to cut its citizens off from facebook, youtube, and twitter. However, I still believe that the Chinese population must find ways to use these social networking tools. They’re nearly impossible to live with out these days.
Advertising
9. This year I learned a lot of media and advertising and it totally changed my perspective on how corporations advertise. I never knew that Pepsi commercials clearly appeal primarily to love of family versus Coca Cola which strives to advertise it’s consumers to be more adventures. It’s crazy to think how corporations will pay advertisers a ton of money just to figure out different ways to get into peoples heads. This class along with advertising has made me skeptical of every commercial I see. I now always find my self-breaking down a commercial into the different tool steps subconsciously. I feel that I don’t get tricked as much and that I now know that advertisers are simply trying to sell me things I don’t need. In a sense it's a good thing that everytime I watch a commerical I don't get sucked in and the only way for it not annoy me is if I can point out at least 5 persuasive techinques in the three second clip.
Creativity
10. The biggest revelation I had about Hilliard was that he made me understand that creative writing has so many different places in today’s media driven world. I know that I’d never really want to write a book, but I feel that I could possibly write a commercial or maybe a T.V show. This book has showed me that internet has made it possible and has created so many new different platforms that require so many different various formations of writing. I’m looking forward to seeing where the world of Web 2.0 takes me.
1. My first revelation about 21st century media is ironically about copy write issues. I decided for my final capitalism and democracy paper that I would explore the issue of illegal fire sharing. I discovered some really interesting aspects about how the government is having trouble dealing with illegal fire sharing. It’s estimated that over one billion tracks are exchanged on the Internet each month. This doesn’t compensate Apples Itunes only selling 2 billions songs since it was launched back in 2003. It’s also important to note that Itunes represents over 70% of all legal music downloading.
RIAA Vs. Tanenbaum
2. During this paper I also came across an incredibly interesting court case that made me re-think everything about record companies. The RIAA Vs. Tanenbaum. The recording industry Association of America sued Joel Yenebaum, a 24 year old graduate student at Boston University, for downloading seven songs and making more than 800 others available over Kazaa. I find it crazy how the RIAA is allowed by the U.S government to sue Joel Yenebaum up to 12,000 dollars because of the Digital Theft Deterrence Act. It shows that copy right holders have to much power and shouldn’t be allowed to sue people for what they consider criminal actions.
Check out my commentary on illegal music sharing. "Music for the people and by the people."
Rage Agaisnt the Machine
3. On the same topic of Record companies, I would have to believe that one of my biggest revelations about 21st century media came to me last year during Mass Media and Society. I don’ remember the women’s name but she brought up an incredibly interesting point about the Rage Against The Machine. It’s commonly known that Rage Against the Machine is a band that stands for going against large corporations and sticking it to the “man.” however, she brought up an extremely interesting point when she pointed out that Rage Against the Machine signed a contract with Sony, which is just another large media corporation.
Vision of Students Study
4. I had a revelation when I saw the video “vision of students today.” It made me feel better that I wasn’t the only one that was feeling strong about certain issues dealing with college. For example, buying hundred dollar textbooks you don’t use, knowing people who pay a lot of money for school but never go to class and how the contemporary education system today hasn’t really adapted to the modern day student. This youtube video helps support that the technology generation is much more fast paced and standard class rooms with teachers reading power points as lectures isn’t an effective way of teaching. I often sit and class and wonder when things are finally going to start to change. I feel that i'm lucky to go to Champlain College because there at least aware that college students are changing. I feel bad for students who go to large universities who have to set through long lectures all day.
Sustain Champlain
5. I found that doing the Sustain Champlain project was an awesome way to show how Champlain College is using various different types of techniques to be more environmentally friendly. It was a revelation to me because it shows a different way of retaining information. All the videos are short, sweet and to the point but they are all filled with incredibly valuable information. For example, low flow showerheads, energy efficient washer and driers and motion censored lights. I never even knew how the green roof worked until I watched some of the Sustain Champlain videos. I liked this project because it's shows the power of Web 2.0. If you have a class split up into groups and everyone makes a youtube clip for everyone to see, people are going to learn more because youtube videos are a great way to learn.
Reality T.V
6. I had a huge revelation when I read in Hilliard that not all reality T.V shows are scripted. I learned that most of these shows are built upon a story line or an outline and people just act upon the plot. I never knew this and made me really wonder about reality T.V. I still have trouble believing that shows likes Laguna Beach and the Hills have actor that are capable of improvisation. In general it was interesting to learn about how T.V shows are scripted because I like to write T.V shows but Hilliard made me realize that even with just an outline of a T.V you can make something happen with it. I feel like with new technologies like Nano's and Flip Cameras you can make a T.V out of anything.
Blogging
7. One of the biggest revelations I had about media in the 21st century is the power of blogs. One of my friends who started a blog about bmx bike riding. (I had media mediation about “the come up.”) I found it incredible that if you create a blog that everyone likes that companies we’ll pay you money to put there advertisements on it. It just makes me feel better about going to school knowing that people do become successful by using the powers of Web 2.0. Taking eletronic media writting has helped me figure out ways to make my blog stand out than others. Now, the biggest task is to find something to post about that the world we'll wan't to see.
A place with no Web 2.0
8. As we learned to Blog and Twitter this year in class I still have trouble imagining a world where you aren’t allowed to use social networking tools. I find the topic of how governments regulate media to be incredibly interesting because media has become to big for governments to control. I feel that the Internet is a beast of information that gives power to the people and this threatens how certain governments operate. Specially, I still have trouble getting my head around how China believes it’s ok to cut its citizens off from facebook, youtube, and twitter. However, I still believe that the Chinese population must find ways to use these social networking tools. They’re nearly impossible to live with out these days.
Advertising
9. This year I learned a lot of media and advertising and it totally changed my perspective on how corporations advertise. I never knew that Pepsi commercials clearly appeal primarily to love of family versus Coca Cola which strives to advertise it’s consumers to be more adventures. It’s crazy to think how corporations will pay advertisers a ton of money just to figure out different ways to get into peoples heads. This class along with advertising has made me skeptical of every commercial I see. I now always find my self-breaking down a commercial into the different tool steps subconsciously. I feel that I don’t get tricked as much and that I now know that advertisers are simply trying to sell me things I don’t need. In a sense it's a good thing that everytime I watch a commerical I don't get sucked in and the only way for it not annoy me is if I can point out at least 5 persuasive techinques in the three second clip.
Creativity
10. The biggest revelation I had about Hilliard was that he made me understand that creative writing has so many different places in today’s media driven world. I know that I’d never really want to write a book, but I feel that I could possibly write a commercial or maybe a T.V show. This book has showed me that internet has made it possible and has created so many new different platforms that require so many different various formations of writing. I’m looking forward to seeing where the world of Web 2.0 takes me.
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Media Meditations Round 2 Post 3
Web 2.0 In China
A topic that I feel that is often not talked about enough is how China doesn’t allow for it’s citizens to use Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and MySpace. I feel that this is a great example of a political shift because Chinas government doesn’t want its citizens to use the power of web 2.0.
It’s crazy to think that the entire nation of China can be deprived of so much valuable media with so many different value messages. The Chinese government is aware that the power of web 2.0 gives strength to the people. Web 2.0 allows for people to come together, share stories and become unified. This is exactly what a tyranny would be against. China uses fear and physical blocking of these websites so that it’s citizens will not use them. Why is it that China is so against social networking, and even google? It’s incredibly hard to imagine a world with out these Internet tools.
Here are some related articles that are interesting that portray to this subject.
No You Tube In China
China Blocks Twitter and Facebook
Watch this clip starting one min twelve seconds in...
A topic that I feel that is often not talked about enough is how China doesn’t allow for it’s citizens to use Twitter, Facebook, Youtube and MySpace. I feel that this is a great example of a political shift because Chinas government doesn’t want its citizens to use the power of web 2.0.
It’s crazy to think that the entire nation of China can be deprived of so much valuable media with so many different value messages. The Chinese government is aware that the power of web 2.0 gives strength to the people. Web 2.0 allows for people to come together, share stories and become unified. This is exactly what a tyranny would be against. China uses fear and physical blocking of these websites so that it’s citizens will not use them. Why is it that China is so against social networking, and even google? It’s incredibly hard to imagine a world with out these Internet tools.
Here are some related articles that are interesting that portray to this subject.
No You Tube In China
China Blocks Twitter and Facebook
Watch this clip starting one min twelve seconds in...
Media Mediation Round 2 Post 2
Mark Zuckerberg is a Harvard graduate who originally created Facebook with the intent that it would be a social networking site for students. Times have changed, and recent studies show that this isn’t truly the case. Statistics show that non-student adults and parents have found a way to sneak themselves into what once was a closed- off online social network. According to the facebook demographic and statistics report, There has been a staggering increase in the number of 55+ users- with total growth of 513% in the last six months alone.
The older generation has flooded facebook’s social scene. Facebook has recently experienced a decline in high school and college users. According to the Facebook-demographic and statistic report, There are 16.5% less high school users, and 21.7% less college users. It’s believed that parents joining faceook have alienated the younger facebook users.
I find that these statistics are incredibly interesting because they demonstrate a cultural shift on facebook. When I use my neocortex I realize that the younger generation is becoming sick and tired of being monitored and analyzed. I feel that by not having a facebook for personal use allows me to be less media judging. I also don’t want to get caught in any dumb photos that my future employer might be looking at. Facebooks 400 million active users upload about 3 billion photos to the site each month. In other words it seems that the Internets personal shift has exposed human nature in ways that has never been seen before.
Evidence shows that Facebook has managed to reach the top of the social world but has proven to have some grey areas that have yet to be brought in to focus. It went from being a way for students to communicate to a corporate marketing target, a parental concern and an overload of personal useless information. Twitter, Blogger, Myspace and Tumbler have risen to be competitors and show that facebook doesn’t hold a permanent space in the social networking world.
Media Mediation Round 2 Post 1
Adam Grandmaison has always been a die heart bmx rider. However, he found that he was constantly getting injured and he had nothing better to do then write about bmx on the internet. Adam decided to start a blog called, The Come Up, because rather than posting comments and threads in other peoples forums, he wanted to create a voice of his own. After a quick three years, The Come Up has turned into what can easily be called the most followed BMX site on the Internet, and Adam has positioned himself as one of the leading voices in the sport. Love him or hate him you people will not deny the work Adam Grandmaison has put in and only respect what he has created.
It’s clear that the marketing philosophy behind The Come Up is to keep it raw, honest, simple and real. “I don’t get this whole idea of being positive all the time, everybody is negative and everyone likes to shit talk. The whole being positive thing is so fucking lame,” says Adam. It’s obvious that The Come Up is not trying to win over anyone, it’s just a place for bike riders to show there true selves. “I’m not even going to act like money is not important, looking at videos all day isn’t that fun, and that fact that I could make a real good living with out sucking someone’s dick makes me happy.” The Come Up will only continue to display the newest and most popular bmx themes and has proven to do it in a way that has never been seen before in the online bmx world.
What makes Adams Blog so interesting is that it’s got the bandwagon of all bmx riders but doesn’t need be warm and fuzzy about it. Adam’s blog depends on the discursive shift because his popularity is driven by viewer’s comments on testimonial riders. When looking at Adams blog it’s obvious that he tends to be raw and doesn’t try to hold back at all. The reason I like him most is that he’s up front about everything and doesn’t use escape goats. He’s incredibly personal about his feelings and has created a web 2.0 environment that isn’t seen that often.
STRANGER/WOLFMAN/C.O.T.R. #7 from THEM on Vimeo.
Monday, March 15, 2010
Spring 2010 MidTerm
1. I feel like my media education started in mass media and society and has only gotten better. I have learned to look deep into media and see it in a way that allows me not to be a advertising target.
2. I have learned that I can view media and see it for what it's really worth. I'm able to break media down into the power tools and gain greater insight, allowing me to express what the media is trying to convey.
3. I would focus more on my blog writting.
4. Give the students more time to share about the media they have personally discovered on the web. Students tend to be the first people to find the most interesting things online because they have the most spare time.
5. I find that the book is pretty dry. However, I feel that the blogs are a lot of fun because they allow you to be creative. I find that you normally find good movies, and you tube clips to watch that are relevant to what we are studying.
2. I have learned that I can view media and see it for what it's really worth. I'm able to break media down into the power tools and gain greater insight, allowing me to express what the media is trying to convey.
3. I would focus more on my blog writting.
4. Give the students more time to share about the media they have personally discovered on the web. Students tend to be the first people to find the most interesting things online because they have the most spare time.
5. I find that the book is pretty dry. However, I feel that the blogs are a lot of fun because they allow you to be creative. I find that you normally find good movies, and you tube clips to watch that are relevant to what we are studying.
Sunday, February 28, 2010
QC Mixtapes (Media Meditation #3)
QC MIXTAPESQC Mix tapes is a music website that was created by a former Champlain College student. I find that QC mix tapes is a new way to listen and view music. When you look at the website it presents its self-different then most music websites. It streams rectangle photos of a DJ’s cover for their mix tape. I feel it invokes my limbic brain because instead of searching for music by browsing artist titles, I’m trying to find music though images.
QC mix tapes allows you to be connected to Facebook, RSS, Twitter, and Myspace. QC mix tapes shows a personal shift in music because it allows you to search in many different generas. What makes QC mix tapes different then other music downloading websites is that the music is in one long track that flows together. Even though its one track there are multiple songs all on it. QC mix tapes helps you find other mix tapes that you might like, and you can even use it on your I phone. (Aesthetic shift)
If you check out QC mixtapes you will find that the pictures that stream use beautiful people, humor, testimonial people and warm and fuzzy to get people to check out there mix tape. Another awesome part of QC mix tapes is that while a mix tape is playing you can hover over the song with your mouse and see the artist and song. QC mixtapes also allows people to leave comments on any mixtape. (Discursive Shift)
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