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xmrocks
Premium,MVM
join:2003-09-23
clubs:  
 ·Comcast
|  Lowering CD prices not gonna help
Well, good luck to Sharman. But I don't think lowering the CD price will make a huge difference as some people want to think. If there is one song you want, and there is a choice between downloading it free off of a file-sharing network or buying the entire CD, many people will go after the free way simply because it is only one song. This is all assuming that the person "believes" in downloading copyrighted material (I know that's not a good word but I can't find a better one at the time).
Lowering prices on CD's would be good, for some indivduals who have had fear instilled in them by the RIAA and their tough guy attitude. So those individuals would rather buy a CD than in take the rare chance they'll be caught downloading by the RIAA. As far as we know, people who are downloading files at the present time are not targeted (which I think is stupid -- correct me if I am wrong on this fact). I understand shutting down the sources are the main targets, and sure that makes sense. But by downloading a file, doesn't that make me as much of a criminal downloading something that is copyrighted and that I did not pay the royalties to the respective party? Any way you look at it, it does whether or not you fileshare.
So yes, lowering CD prices will help, but I think artists need to put out better songs that would make a CD worth whatever price it is lowered to (or stays at currently). Or, better yet, get record labels to sell more singles. Or even then, offer more programs like iTunes Music Store and make the prices reasonably low so that if I want the new song by Artist X, then I can get that song and not have to pay whatever a CD costs. But then that comes to the digital rights you have by downloading that song. Sometimes it can't be burned to a CD, or shared, etc. Sure, it shouldn't be shared, but burning it to a CD should be your choice, since you're the current owner of that file.
So, back to Kazaa and Kazaa-Lite. How is the RIAA doing this searching? By simply typing in "Madonna" and then throwing a subpeona at those users who turned up positive is wrong. I seriously think they should have to prove that that file is indeed a song by Madonna. Anyone can name a file incorrectly, why they'd want to do it is beyond me. They also cannot, as some have mentioned, prove it was this person. An IP address tells you an ISP and is registered to usually one computer, or it could be shared through a series on computers through a router, WAP, etc. WAP can be hacked, so can ISP's as someone mentioned. So there is no real proof that it is this person or that.
I'd write more, but it'd get repetitive and such. Just my 2 cents. | |
SRFireside
join:2001-01-19
Houston, TX
| There is good music out there. You just have to find it, and by that I mean look in places other than radio and MTV. This is why P2P is great to me. I have found so much new music through people sharing files it's crazy. I find good music online, I buy the CD. If you ask me lower CD prices will help. They have to compete with DVD's now, which most of the time carry the same cost as a music CD and have a lot more content. My real question is will music CD's really cost less? They claimed to have reduced the MSRP, but if they are charging the distributors the same amount prices won't change. This might be a bait-and-switch on the RIAA's part.
People are still buying music. If P2P was really hurting the industry then the lack of sales would be massive instead of a measely 10%-12%. Also considering they are comparing the current figures to what they made previous years I would question P2P generating those losses too. The major record labels have released over 20% less albums these past couple of years compared to 2000 and before.
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xmrocks
Premium,MVM
join:2003-09-23
clubs:
·Comcast
| I know very well there is good music out there. I have XM Radio and no longer listen to FM or watch MTV, etc. I just feel that lowering prices won't help as much as everyone thinks they will. People are always saying I would buy more CD's if prices were lower. If people still share those files, do you think people would actually go out and buy a CD if they only liked one song on it, or would they download it for free? Some people would go out and buy the CD's because they are getting a better deal. Others, and I believe most, would stick to downloading since it's probably a hard habit to break.
Sure, if people download music and then go out and buy it (such as you do), I don't have as much of a problem with that because they're supporting the artists they enjoy. P2P is still hurting the record industry any way you look at it. It might not be hurting them massively, but it's still hurting them as well as hurting those artists who make the music in the first place. The less albums they sell, the less money they make. | |
SRFireside
join:2001-01-19
Houston, TX
| So far it seems to me the record labels are the ones hurting their own sales. 23% drop in albums released yet only about 12% loss in sales? Economics would reason that if you sell 23% less product you can expect about the same in losses, though the actual losses tend to be less. I would figure a 15%-20% loss would reflect a decent response to the lack of albums released, however the actual losses are quite a bit less. So if you ask me P2P might have actually reduced the loss, based on my previous theory that people buy what they like. I still do not see anything to back up the RIAA's claim about file sharing hurting the industry.
I know that I would be buying more albums if they cost less. As it is I have to pick and choose what artists get my money because the costs are so high. Some artists might not ever get my spending dollars because their records are on that level I refuse to pay. Considering MANY people have complained about the high costs of CD's I think it's a safe bet that album sales would go up for the record label that does a true to life mark down on price.
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Love Science Fiction? www.spacestationzoom.com | |
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