Kazaa owners may face time in jail

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Arguement for P2P file sharing?

Surely there's an arguement to be made FOR file sharing in this instance as a necessary evil in the development cycle of the music industry. In the next 5 years what need will there be for record companies? Up to now they were needed to promote bands, burn the albums and handle the distribution. What this meant was we got the bands that the record companies thought they could 'sell' - heck, sometimes they (the record companies) even created them for us!

In the UK we have a great example of a band called Arctic Monkeys who basically, through creative talent and savvy use of the internet, built themselves up a really good following AND started to make some money months before they ever got signed. Because CD sales are still a massive market they eventually had to sign to a label, but their's is an example of what could (almost) be commonplace.

Artic Monkeys needed them for the CD distribution, but as MP3's become even more popular and CD sales shrink, why would anyone need record companies at all?

The big problem at the moment is that to cover their crazy high marketing, sales and distribution costs (plus the loss from bands who don't give them a return) the record companies have to sell music at an artificially high price. The creatives behind the music are only getting perhaps 10-15% of the sales value so you and I as consumers are essentially paying between 8 & 10 times the true worth of that musical work.

Record companies didn't really exist much earlier than 1900 so there is no major tradition that says we need them in the 2000's.

They are not just going to roll over and play dead so file sharing needs to continue to eventually make them obsolete. When this finally happens a fair way to compensate artists will evolve because the will to illegally file share will have diminished. Why? Because once record companies finally go the way of the dinosaurs, consumers will be able to pay a just price to the artists. No-one would begrudge paying 7 pence for a track but when they are asked to pay 80 pence it is little wonder they turn to illegal file sharing. It must almost feel like taking the correct moral position.

Let's hope this scenario happens sooner or later for the sake of the artists. Also, the sooner a proper, legal method is out in place the less likely users are going to get lumbered with underhand spyware. (Kazaa anyone?)

Posted by: jack4700   Posted on: 12/15/05 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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