Legal / Illegal Downloads

[john]

Hey

Apparently market research group NPD Group recently published a report saying that, last year, more than 500 million songs were legally downloaded.

Unfortunately Bloomberg announced ~5 billion songs were illegally downloaded last year.

hmmm.

NPD also say file swapping has risen by 8 percent, legal purchases of music increased by 56 percent, 70 percent of iTunes users download songs which is down by 11 percent.

Whatcha fink?

Cheers

John

[Guest voclizr]

Gee, I didn't think people could illegally download anymore!

I thought they put all the P2P servers out of business!!

John B.

[john]

unfortunately it's not just p2p, but no a few p2p progs were either closed or became legal, but that was just a few with an American business base (as far as I am aware).

Not all countries recognise copyright agreements either (I'm sure Lazz will correct me if I am wrong)

I guess it also depends on what it considers "illegal", for example indie music download sites.

In looking for interesting snippets to post I found 5 sites yesterday that offered illegal downloads.

What about UToob until it made an agreement?

Still, it is a startling stat.

I suppose 500 million is a big improvement, but not enough. So much for "let people download it illegally because they are likely to buy" (something I don't agree with). The sad fact is most folk will quite happily take "freebies", and don't consider it a big issue, after all it's only £10 or so right?

then of course, somehow it has become acceptable to "not recognise copyright". The "I have a right to listen" lobby, and after all the record companies are ripping them off, aren't they? Indie artists are just the ideal victim to get trampled on in their rampage for free music. Take lots of people who want to get noticed, and don't complain too much when their rights are abused, put greedy corporations on one side (sharks), and a self-justified mob (piranahs) on the other, and then we are surprised there's a feeding frenzy?

[Guest voclizr]

It's quite interesting that this is still a hot issue after 3.5 years. I can't remember the last time I even heard the word "Kazaa" or "Grokster", but it still goes on. In fact, it's in the new this very day about another group of students at the University Of Nebraska at Lincoln getting sued by the RIAA.

Personally, I have no sympathy for the recording industry in their losing money. They're asking for it in failing to recognize what customers want today. I do feel a great deal of sympathy for up and coming musicians who are just getting into the business. These people are the ones who's careers will be destroyed by illegal downloading, whether they be independent or major label artists. People have to realize that it takes time and money to make and distrubute music. A new artist is on the line because he/she won't be able to deliver product next year if they don't bring in the revenue for this year's project. The newer the act, the less they can afford to give away. Madonna and Lars Ulrich will not starve if people download their tracks, but a newcomer will. The label will drop them if their album doesn't bring in enough money, and it doesn't matter if the money was lost due to downloading or lack of interest. It all comes down to lost capital. I'm not saying that it should be justified to download a major star's music and not justified for a newbie. That would create a rediculous double standard. We must all recognise that all illegal downloading hurts somebody somewhere along the line.

At almost 52 years old, I don't really care anymore about my music going big time. If it would happen, fine, but I'm too old to do all of the footwork necessary to make it happen. I do it or fun and the fact that people all over the world can sample and enjoy my music. That's good enough for me at this point in my life, but I wish I would've had this technology at my fingertips 30 years ago when I started writing, because I certainly would've been in with the "American Idol" types, pushing with all my energy to get heard by the masses, and for enough money to make it a living.

"Fair Use" is another matter entirely, and is an issue for another thread.

Thanks for letting me rant!

John B.

Edited April 22, 2007 by voclizr