What would you ask the RIAA if you could?

Ramblings' Journal | 8.6.02

[mhking]

You can now rip on the RIAA -

Tres Producers, in conjunction with several other blogs, has been able to work with an "open-minded representative" of the RIAA (for those of you who don't know, they are the folks who have done a pretty effective job of killing Internet radio) to create a live online interview.

Tres Producers has put together a question forum for you to pose your queries - in other words, what would you ask the RIAA if you had the chance?

[mhking]

I'll let everyone know what they finally come up with if/when they show up to talk to folks...

[mhking]

BTW: Here are the three questions I've submitted --

Let's get down to brass tacks -- 1:why is there truly a need for the RIAA any more, given the existance of technology that permits and encourages the bypassing of the "middleman" organizations in the first place? The impression most have been given is that the RIAA is out to squash the technology from P2P sharing to Internet Radio, simply because they have not been able to find a valid methodology of extracting "Caesar's" cut ("render unto Caesar what is Caesar's") from each unit sold (i.e., download that takes place). Is this the case, and if so/not, why/why not?

2:If the recently introduced bill permitting the scanning of individuals' computers ever sees the light of day, then how would you discern whether or not someone honestly owns (or has honestly purchased) a piece of music on their computer, as opposed to something that supposedly has not? Isn't this piece of legislation nothing more than a legal means to rifle through individuals' computers in order to glean yet more money from them in the form of users' fees or "fines?"

3:Are the RIAA (and by extension the MPAA) out to remove music (and video) from the net entirely, unless it is tightly and rigidly controlled?

[RabidBartender]

"So......how about those copy-proof cds?"

hehe....

It will be interesting to see what their answer is to your third question, seeing how Napster offered them a clean and easy way to do it and they turned it down.

[Greeklawyer]

1. Does the RIAA recieve money from each recording sold. (in the past vinyl records, presently cassette tapes and cd's)

2. Who funds the RIAA?

3. Does the RIAA need the major recording labels in order to exist?

4. If a music artist is self distributing does the RIAA directly do anything to protect self distributing artists?

[Crusader21stCentury]

Do they want their corporate computer systems to keep running?

[jumpstartme]

Why does the RIAA insist on "stealing" from their customers, the rights to listen to a CD or cassette in their car, or portable player?

Why doesn't the RIAA and their client companies like Sony, Warner Brothers, etc. get smart for a change and turn a negative into a positive? For instance, why don't you put free promotional tunes up on servers like Napster and use the new technology to drive sales? This makes so much more sense than threatening and suing your own customers. Or, perhaps you can hire Larry Klayman- he sued his own mother!

Why would anyone give a sh*t what the RIAA thinks?

Why would anyone go to a concert that costs $250 per ticket?

Why do the RIAA and musicians want to kill the music recording industry?

[Doctor Stochastic]

I would ask for a better equalization curve.

[Dinsdale]

To kiss my @$$.

[RabidBartender]

"Can I borrow your Sharpie?"

[nothingnew]

There was an article posted about a month ago about Janis Ian...I did a search on her name but nothing came up.

Perhaps someone remembers it and can find it...It nails RIAA very well.

FMCDH

[tacticalogic]

Will they be including a mechanism for me to use to remotely shut down the mail servers that are stealing my bandwidth and disk space to promote their crap (Buy 1 CD and get 9 FREE!)?

[ThinkDifferent]

Here you go. Great piece, and she just added a followup.

[jumpstartme]

Link to Janis Ian article.

[mhking]

"Can I borrow your Sharpie?"

[LOL]

Gotta listen to those "copyproof" CD's some kind of way, eh?

[Physicist]

What do you consider a reasonable term of copyright protection, and why? How can it be prevented from growing indefinitely, as seems to be happening now?

[nothingnew]

The people on FR are awesome, and I try not to use that word as much as possible.

Thank you both!

FMCDH

[BlazingArizona]

When you get the special Constitution you have been lobbying Congress for, will it contain a clause against humming? I can't count how many times I've heard people humming copyrighted material - right in the streets of America's biggest cities, where even children can hear the blatant theft of works that in some cases your organization has paid the artists hundreds of dollars for.

[Rifleman]

Where are you keeping the pictures of Fritz Hollings and the goat?

[mhking]

Where are you keeping the pictures of Fritz Hollings and the goat?

ROTFLMAO! Foghorn Leghorn and a goat! I love it!

I think that one comes just after asking if Hilary Rosen is still beating her husband...