I'm a worship song writer with songs to share with the church...
I'm a guy who's made an investment and wants to see a return...
I'm an unknown that needs exposure...
I feel as though the issues created by the digital movement will never be fully resolved, but they're not new! People have always been able to copy music they've never paid for (as long as there has been music to purchase, with the exception of phonograph records I suppose -which means they've been able to copy music since the invention of tape recording with 8-tracks...I digress) and that's only been escalated with the onset of the digital revolution.
I remember seeing Lars Ulrich (drummer from Metallica), Dr. Dre (you know who he is, admit it) and a host of suit guys debating on CNN about the availability of music (free music) created by Napster. Was it ethical? Was it fair to the artists? What about the record companies? What about the distributors, the record stores, the workers at the music stores? It just keeps flowing along, affecting people across the board. And this was 5 years ago...Do you remember Napster? This was the first famous virtual network designed to share files worldwide on the internet. Created by Northeastern University student Shawn Fanning in the 90's as a way to promote a music community, he was taken to court by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) who claimed that this type of file sharing (music files) was illegal and circumvented copyright laws. Well, as expected, those with the $$ won the legal battle. This was not the end for Mr. Fanning however... he sold the rights to Napster to Roxio (a legally established file sharing company with no musical dealings) and they adopted the Napster name (how often does the purchased company become the namesake?) and in cooperation with Fanning, developed relationships with the RIAA so that mp3s could be sold efficiently and legally. Problem solved!
No. Of course, after Napster's demise as a free source of music to millions, other variations arose and still exist (Limewire, anyone?) and though there are many ways to legally download music through the internet, establishing markets for artists where once there were none (really, how could I sell a CD to someone in Japan...through the internet, it can now happen! Hallelujah!), there are still many ways to "illegally" share music files with your friends, family, neighbors, countrymen, and across borders!
I guess what I'm getting at is that calling filesharing illegal is not going to stop it. As an artist, I love the possibility of exposure and the opportunity to share with people I'll never meet. As a businessman, it's not that appealing. But what am I, an artist or a businessman? I'd rather be an artist...
"Confession" and "Invitation to the Thirsty" are yours: have at 'er friends! Be blessed
http://www.myspace.com/switch21music
