iTunes Plus

[Sidoh]

Yeah, understandable.  However, I don't like hardly any of the same music you do. :P

[iago]

From wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIAA:

The Recording Industry Association of America (or RIAA) is a trade group that represents the recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of a large number of private corporate entities such as record labels and distributors, who create and distribute about 90% of recorded music sold in the US. It is involved in a series of controversial copyright infringement legal actions on behalf of its members.

I agree with crazed.  It's pretty much like "boycotting gas."  If you believe in something strong enough (like hating the RIAA) and wish you boycott things they represent, then I have no problem with that.  That's great.  However, I think it's pretty silly to think it will make a non-trivial difference.  Almost everyone listens to music, almost all of those people (in US, Canada, UK, etc) listen to bands that are represented by the RIAA and almost all of those people are ignorant or apathetic towards the RIAA.  The few exceptions have negligible effect on the rest.

Plus, I'm not going to stop listening to the bands I love just because they're represented by the RIAA!

Ah, Wikipedia says 90% so it must be true!

The percentage doesn't really matter, actually. Whether it's 50, 90, or 99%, it's the same thing.

I do listen to music from RIAA-affiliated bands. However, I won't buy records from them, I download them instead. That's a form of protest, and is basically like boycotting them. I wish more people would do the same, to show them that people don't care for their unfair business practices and bullying. It's especially important to me when there's a reasonable chance that I won't be able to listen to music I buy.

I think there should also be more awareness, especially for bands and artists. I bet that they often don't realize what they're getting when they sign their lives away to a RIAA label.

[Sidoh]

Ah, Wikipedia says 90% so it must be true!

I didn't say that.

The percentage doesn't really matter, actually. Whether it's 50, 90, or 99%, it's the same thing.

It was a triviality.  I said 90%, you said it was more.  I looked it up on wikipedia and it said 90%.  I don't care who's right; I'm just adding to the conversation.

I do listen to music from RIAA-affiliated bands. However, I won't buy records from them, I download them instead. That's a form of protest, and is basically like boycotting them. I wish more people would do the same, to show them that people don't care for their unfair business practices and bullying. It's especially important to me when there's a reasonable chance that I won't be able to listen to music I buy.

I think there should also be more awareness, especially for bands and artists. I bet that they often don't realize what they're getting when they sign their lives away to a RIAA label.

So do I, but you said "stop listening to bands affiliated with the RIAA." :P

[CrAz3D]

From wikipedia:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RIAA:

The Recording Industry Association of America (or RIAA) is a trade group that represents the recording industry in the United States. Its members consist of a large number of private corporate entities such as record labels and distributors, who create and distribute about 90% of recorded music sold in the US. It is involved in a series of controversial copyright infringement legal actions on behalf of its members.

I agree with crazed.  It's pretty much like "boycotting gas."  If you believe in something strong enough (like hating the RIAA) and wish you boycott things they represent, then I have no problem with that.  That's great.  However, I think it's pretty silly to think it will make a non-trivial difference.  Almost everyone listens to music, almost all of those people (in US, Canada, UK, etc) listen to bands that are represented by the RIAA and almost all of those people are ignorant or apathetic towards the RIAA.  The few exceptions have negligible effect on the rest.

Plus, I'm not going to stop listening to the bands I love just because they're represented by the RIAA!

Ah, Wikipedia says 90% so it must be true!

The percentage doesn't really matter, actually. Whether it's 50, 90, or 99%, it's the same thing.

I do listen to music from RIAA-affiliated bands. However, I won't buy records from them, I download them instead. That's a form of protest, and is basically like boycotting them. I wish more people would do the same, to show them that people don't care for their unfair business practices and bullying. It's especially important to me when there's a reasonable chance that I won't be able to listen to music I buy.

I think there should also be more awareness, especially for bands and artists. I bet that they often don't realize what they're getting when they sign their lives away to a RIAA label.

Is that kinda like your "I don't vote because I'm sutpid"...err, "I don't beleive it counts", yeah, thats it

[Sidoh]

His justification for not voting makes very good sense.  I don't agree with it, but I still see where he's coming from. :-\

[iago]

Ah, Wikipedia says 90% so it must be true!

I didn't say that.

The percentage doesn't really matter, actually. Whether it's 50, 90, or 99%, it's the same thing.

It was a triviality.  I said 90%, you said it was more.  I looked it up on wikipedia and it said 90%.  I don't care who's right; I'm just adding to the conversation.

You're right, it's a triviality. You win... this time. It still doesn't matter, though :)

So do I, but you said "stop listening to bands affiliated with the RIAA." :P

Ah, then I mispoke (mistyped?). I encourage boycotting them insofar as not buying them.

Is that kinda like your "I don't vote because I'm sutpid"...err, "I don't beleive it counts", yeah, thats it

No, it's nothing like that. You obviously don't know the reason why I don't vote, which is nicely shown in that post.

<edit>
I was working on something else, and thinking about this statement. I'm amazed that you actually managed to figure this out, let alone get out of bed without falling over.

Yes, the principles are quite similar. A boycott on something is a form of protest. I don't buy RIAA-affiliated albums because I don't like their business tactics, and I don't vote because I think politicians are lying jackasses.

Your statement about "I don't believe it counts" wouldn't even make sense. At all! If you don't believe that a single vote counts, then you also wouldn't believe that a boycott would work. They both depend on a lot of people doing it rather than every person doing it. So what you said doesn't even make sense, although you somehow hit on a key similarity.

[Killer360]

Hmm, there is a program called.... uhh.... LimeWire -- lot's of people use it. ;)

The RIAA is really cracking down on piracy, I guess.  I'm sure this is a common tactic, but they'll list a popular song, log the IPs that download it and then prosecute them.  I met a guy from Oklahoma who ended up settling out of court for $3,000 after they logged him (his daughter actually) downloading nine songs. :-\

I'm definitely going to lay off the pirating for a while.  NBC already whined to my ISP when I downloaded some movie Ender said was good.

Thanks for the good information.

I will now pirate only off of RapidShare. :)

I was caught several months ago for downloading GTA: Vice City as a torrent.

I got the email from my ISP basically saying don't do it again.


Is it harder to prosecute somebody in Canada?

[trust]

Well it's legal to download music in Canada due to an extra tax on blank CD's. The RIAA is probably the most proactive with lawsuits, whereas with other things it's more of a cease and desist sort of thing.

[Blaze]

Well it's legal to download music in Canada due to an extra tax on blank CD's.

... k.  That's wrong, but you can keep thinking that.  There is no "tax" that I pay when I buy a blank CD.  There is a levy on blank cds, but no tax.  :\

Also, I'm not allowed to give anyone the music I download, but they are allowed to come to my house use my computer and burn it, which is neat.  :)  But I can't burn the disc for them.  Not that anyone would really be able to prove that it was me or them.  :P

[trust]

Well it's legal to download music in Canada due to an extra tax on blank CD's.

There is a levy on blank cds, but no tax.  :\

Same thing.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=define%3A+levy&btnG=Google+Search

[Blaze]

My understanding of the words is Tax is going to a Government, whilst a levy is going to a specific group that isn't a Government (in this case, the music industry)