Downloading Some Bullshit

dead

A&M Records, Inc. v. Napster, Inc.

MGM Studios, Inc. v. Grokster, Ltd

Vice: Let’s begin with something semi-current that I can’t quite wrap my head around: HR 848, the Performance Rights Act that was introduced in February 2009 and is still before Congress. I understand that its goal is to eliminate the disparity between royalty payments across formats, but does FM radio really pay less for broadcasting music than the internet and satellite varieties? That seems backward.

Cary Sherman:

What I found really interesting about the bill was that people like Jesse Jackson were in opposition to it, claiming that it would hurt minority radio stations. What do you think about that?

The alternative to all of this radio nonsense is consumer media devices and storage. It’s ironic because while I’m sure that the iPod and iTunes have made the RIAA lots of money, they are also the preferred method to listen to pirated music. Would you say these inventions have made your life easier or more difficult?

I assume you have an iPod.

What’s your preferred method for listening to music?

every

Do you recall the first moment you heard about peer-to-peer software or saw one of these programs in action? Did your heart sink?

DRM meaning “digital rights management.”

How does the RIAA calculate potential profit loss from illegal downloads?

You don’t at all?

Oh, I would imagine.

Do you think the court cases may have brought even more attention to file-sharing software and widened its user base? Is that a crazy notion?

It was the first of its kind, but things have evolved. Does the decentralized nature of something like BitTorrent worry you?

Some might say that the difference is that a site like OiNK [a legendary BitTorrent site shut down in 2007 by the UK’s equivalent of the RIAA] was a much better source for music than iTunes or similar services. Many so-called illegal BitTorrent music-trading sites contain things that will never, ever be available for sale to the casual listener. They primarily cater to completists who previously had to spend years hunting for obscure records. Of course, you’ve got a bunch of people downloading the album of the minute too, but the development of MP3s and peer-to-peer software has perpetually increased the amount of people who listen to music and how much time they spend listening to it. Do you think there will ever be a “legal” program where a user can download every single bootleg from a band of their choosing? I know a lot of people who would pay for that.

A few years ago the RIAA switched tactics. Instead of high-profile prosecutions of people who pirated music, you decided to put the onus on the ISPs. How successful was that transition?

But mainstream public opinion quickly shifted against the record labels and high-profile artists themselves, correct? You had people like Lars Ulrich acting like he wouldn’t be able to afford Zildjians anymore.

Would it be fair to say that the RIAA’s actions of the past ten years resulted in a PR nightmare of truly immense proportions?

I’ve heard that people working for the RIAA have received death threats. Is that true?

OK, I have just a few short, more personal questions I wanted to ask. I’ve read that you are a musician yourself. Is that true?

When you were younger did you ever have dreams of becoming a professional musician?

I bet your parents were happy about that. Who are some of your favorite musicians and bands?

One final question: Do you currently or have you ever received free music while an employee of the RIAA?