Landmark P2P ruling back in court

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Agree / Disagree

While I agree that the cat is out of the bag, that outlawing p2p
networks won't make any difference (especially since they'll still
be legal throughout the rest of the world), I disagree that the
solution is, as you've put it, to "punish the individual".

First off, I'll correct your language:
---if someone steals one album---

Nothing is being stolen here. The Supreme Court has already
ruled that these are instances of copyright infringement, not
theft. Please use the proper terms.

More importantly, the problem as I see it is you have an industry
with an outdated business model. For some reason, they feel
they have the right to manipulate society, and our legal system,
in order to shore up and continue their massive profits (because
apparently they have a God-given right to cocaine and expensive
prostitutes). There's nothing in the Constitution that guarantees
anyone the right to make money. To quote Robert Heinlein:

"There has grown in the minds of certain groups in this country
the idea that just because a man or corporation has made a
profit out of the public for a number of years, the government
and the courts are charged with guaranteeing such a profit in
the future, even in the face of changing circumstances and
contrary to public interest. This strange doctrine is supported by
neither statute or common law. Neither corporations or
individuals have the right to come into court and ask that the
clock of history be stopped, or turned back."

The way to solve this problem is to come up with a new business
model. Find a way to make your product valuable enough to
consumers that they'll continue to buy it. Give the consumer
added value for purchasing the cd over downloading a free copy.
Or, suffer the fate of the dinosaurs, and see your industry wither
on the vine. Musicians will continue to produce music, and
continue to profit from performance. What will probably happen
though, is the suits, the record company executives, will get cut
out of the picture, and they'll have to find real jobs.

Posted by: tic swayback   Posted on: 02/03/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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