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The $1.92 Million Playlist

As you probably know by now, a Minnesota woman was recently accused of pirating 24 songs.

Here is the list of songs she supposedly downloaded...

Vanessa Williams - Save The Best for Last
Sheryl Crow - Run Baby Run
Reba McEntire - One Honest Heart
Janet Jackson - Let’s Wait Awhile
Guns ‘n Roses - Welcome to the Jungle
Guns ‘n Roses - November Rain
Def Leppard - Pour Some Sugar on Me
Bryan Adams - Somebody
Aerosmith - Cryin'
Linkin Park - One Step Closer
Green Day - Basket Case
Goo Goo Dolls - Iris
No Doubt - Hella Good
No Doubt - Different People
No Doubt - Bathwater
Sarah McLaughlan - Building a mystery
Sarah McLaughlan - Possession
Gloria Estefan - Rhythm is Gonna Get You
Gloria Estefan - Here We Arere
Gloria Estefan - Coming Out of The Dark
Journey - Faithfully
Journey - Don’t Stop Believin'
Destiny’s Child - Bills, Bills, Bills
Richard Marx - Now and Forever

Kind of kills your image of who is pirating music, doesn't it?  The only thing better would have been some Sandy Patti and Carman...

$1.92 Million Fine in Music Piracy Case Could Hurt RIAA

The massive $1.9 million fine imposed by a federal jury yesterday in the retrial of a Minnesota woman accused of pirating 24 songs may could end up hurting the Recording Industry Association of America's anti-piracy campaign more than anything else, a leading copyright lawyer said.

Read the entire article and post your thoughts below...

Illegal Art

What would you think about an entire album made from sampled music?

How about an entire album made for sampled music that hasn't been cleared?

Check out Feed the Animals by Girl Talk.  Not only is it a great example of The Speed of Hip-Hip (and Leverage), it's also a great example of where music is headed.

Say what you will about samples, but they're here.  Kids today have access to technology we never dreamed about when we were that age.  There is also less music education than ever.  Yet, the desire to make music continues...

Thoughts?

Pirate Bay Founders Sentenced to Jail, Fines for Violating Copyright Law

And speaking of copyright violation, the founders of the Pirate Bay, well-known torrent site, were recently fined and sentenced to jail.

Interesting quotes from the comments section...

"Everyone who thinks that file sharing music is not theft has never had to pay money to record their songs, pay money to have them mixed and mastered so they meet professional standards, pay money to have their CD designed (artwork, etc) and then pay money to have them manufactured for sale…and I am just scratching the surface (Oh and let’s not forget a lifetime and perfecting your craft as a musician and songwriter)….Only to have all your work and investment file shared for nothing."


"I don’t see how it’s fair to prosecute these people for creating a website that merely provides a place for people around the world to share music. Yeah it’s illegal to steal others property, but let’s be honest we live in a society full of lazy people who have less money everyday. I don’t take issue with the downloading itself because those artists are living lives of extreme wealth and make profits so many other ways you cannot begin to name them all."


"Hopefully, sites like the pirate bay will get musicians back into clubs to make money–they won’t be able to live their easy cushy lives, but the consumers, their fans, will get more than one performance in their area a year, and maybe a little goddamn improv once in a while. Is that so much to ask?"

Post your comments...

Support Online Piracy

Adbusters has some interesting thoughts on online piracy and the future of the Internet.

It's an interesting article and I certainly have thoughts on it...  Before I post anything though, I'd like to hear what you think.

Check it out at the link above and post comments below...

10 Big Myths About Copyright

As a musician, songwriter, and artist, much of your income if based on your copyrights and trademarks.  Yet, the subject is one that many people, even those making a living from these things, don't understand well.

That's not to say anybody really understands copyright...  With technology moving as quickly as it is, there are some things that copyright law hasn't kept up with.  With that said, you should still be aware of these 10 Big Myths About Copyright.

Feel free to post any copyright-related comments below.  For example, your feelings on sampling, cover songs, band name trademark issues, or music licensing...

Kid Rock on Illegal Music Downloads

Interesting video from Kid Rock.  Yes, downloading music without paying for it is stealing, but it's a bit different than the examples he's giving here.  For one, you're not downloading an original recording, you're downloading a digital copy of it...which costs the manufacturer nothing.  It's hardly like stealing a physical product such as an iPod or pair of pants, since the original seller still has something to sell.

Post comments below...

District Court Rules Yahoo, AOL Pay Millions To Songwriters

A US District Court has ruled AOL, RealNetworks, and Yahoo should pay license fees that could amount to as much as $100 million to ASCAP and its membership for songs which they streamed to users from 2002 until now.  The ruling also includes payment for use until 2009.

Sounds good on paper.  The little guy wins, right?

Look, I think songwriters deserve to be paid.  I live in Nashville and own a publishing company!  But since the rate will likely be more than what is paid by traditional broadcast radio stations, my opinion is that it will make it more difficult for anyone to play music online in the future, which will mean nobody gets paid.

So how is this good for the music business?

Who Would Jesus Sue?

If you've ever wondered the value of a name, take a look at this...

The Imperials, one of Christian music's most popular singing groups in the 1970s and early '80s, are currently embroiled in a complex legal battle over who owns the group's name — and who gets to reap the profits from that name.

Armond Morales, who in 1964 cofounded the group that went on to win four Grammys and 13 Dove Awards, and his wife, Bonnie, are being sued for the Imperials name by a younger group that includes Armond's son, Jason Morales.

That younger group — four singers who say they're now the "real" Imperials — claims that when the elder Morales signed an assignment of trademark in 2005, he transferred ownership of the name to the four singers in the current lineup.

And remember Little Anthony and the Imperials?  It seems they may actually own the name...

More...

Is it File Sharing or File Stealing?

Craig Havighurst (listen to his interview on Music Business Radio) has some interesting thoughts on file sharing...

This is good stuff that anybody should read...especially songwriters and music executives in Nashville.  The black and white thinking that these guys exhibit isn't necessarily a bad thing, but as the music industry changes, it's certainly something that will affect how much money is made in the future.

Look, people are downloading music for free.  We haven't been able to stop that and playing to the morals of people doesn't seem to be working.  However, the issue is easy to fix.  All that needs to be done is make it easier to pay for music than get it for free.

iTunes is great.  Get on, type in what you want, and they've got a good quality recording of it.  AllOfMP3 did the same thing.  And this is only going to get better as more and more wireless appliances are created.  Music is background noise for doing other things, you know.

When you can have the ease or getting something in one place, in just a few seconds, why would anybody go to a file sharing service?

Price. 

But this is something that can be fixed.  Look at the success of AllOfMP3.  People happily paid what they were asking.  We just have to develop a pricing model that makes sure everybody is paid.

This is coming.  The big time business interests which own publishing catalogs and master recordings aren't going to just sit around and leave money on the table.  Until then though, let's stop with the doom and gloom.  There are plenty of good things that come along with people being able to share music freely.