MC Hammer: STOP! The Music Piracy Crackdown

[nsane.forums]

There is a great divide between artists on how music piracy should be addressed. On the one hand there are the Lily Allens who believe that tough anti-piracy legislation will increase their profits, while others including Radiohead and Moby think that the RIAA and other lobbyists should stay away from their fans.

The latter group has not been very successful in convincing the big labels to change their anti-piracy strategies, but when MC Hammer says STOP they will have to listen.

In a recent interview Hammer commented on the industry’s struggle with piracy and the future of music in the digital age. In Hammer’s view, the RIAA’s legal battles against file-sharers have only alienated buying customers. ”The approach that the music industry took to fight piracy was the wrong strategy,” he said.

Aside from going after individuals, the entertainment industries have also targeted ISPs, for enabling their customers to pirate. The most prominent case at the moment is that of AFACT against iiNet, where the anti-piracy group wants the Aussie ISP to disconnect repeat infringers.

Using a murder and gun analogy to appeal to his fellow rappers, Hammer argues that AFACT is going after the wrong party by targeting the ISP.

”When there is a murder done with the gun, do they go back to the guy who sold the gun at the store and arrest him? No they don’t. They arrest the person who did it. So in this particular case, somebody is stealing content using the freeway. You can’t go back and sue the construction men,” Hammer said.

In addition to calling for a stop to the legal battles, Hammer thinks the music labels should focus more on digital content instead of trying to sell plastic to a generation of people that have never even owned a standalone CD player.

‘Digital files are no doubt not just the future, but the present. I think that it’s [the CD format] on its last legs, it’s on an artificial respirator,” Hammer commented.

“I don’t know what would turn them on about having to go through that terrible exercise of trying to open the packaging – it’s unbelievable when you’re trying to open a CD, right? You need a box cutter … it’s a tough deal to get it open. And once you get it open … you go and upload it to your computer,” Hammer added.

Hammer has a fair point there. Digital sales are breaking records year after year in terms of revenue generated, while the decline in physical CD sales is more likely to be a sign of the times rather than a side-effect of music piracy.

Article from: TorrentFreak, check out our new blog at FreakBits.

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[HX1]

This I agree with 100%.. CD's/DVD's are harmful for the environment anyway.. Its an investment loosing speed.. a starving Dinosaur.. The only people that I know that still rely on things of this nature are CD/DVD Jockey-s and people who spin/scratch vinyl.. There will still be a demand for these things but this will fade out overtime.. It is still a desire media as there are many things that are simply easier to do.. but there have been many strides forward for digital formats.. software and accompanying hardware.. I can scratch with an mp3 now just as well as I can with vinyl.. It still takes some equipment.. and some time.. for many it is a big change and still generates a lot of chatter about the two.. Better - worse.. new/old... any many 'vaults' or archives are making the transition to such..from the old media..

Change can be a hard thing for many industries/people/companies to grasp ... They change too little .. too late.. They waste a lot of the proper resources in the process and completely make a debauchery of themselves and the names connected.. A scene.. any scene your in feels its effects... huge even when the first ideals came about concerning signing to record labels, be controlled by producers, and hooking it up with a major distributor.. There is fear, control issues, greed... some simply want to keep the artistry as it as meant to be.. others realize the effects that it will have.. and what the wrong change will create. I think really just like everything else in this world.. it comes down to a word called responsibility.. and not responsibility of the RIAA.. and organizations of the like; to do something.. But what they do with the power that has been given to them by the artist and the people... Just like anything that s in control of anything else..

To me the art of music has been about freedom of the mind, the soul, and the body.. Freedom of speech, freedom to confront social faux pas, freedom of expression, and the freedom to bring a gift to others through the ambiance with an ability to relate/share..For many its a point of development..How many of you heard some of you favorite music because someone else decided to share it with you.. either by listening or giving? Melding that with a right to take freedom away.. to control. hinder, imprison, deface.. and otherwise destroy... is most definitely the wrong direction to take..by anyone.. Unless you want to roll in on 'em MOB style.. ( yes old school .. bat to the knees ) ...I don't think thats any way to be...I think that yes people, not just artist need to be valued more.. we all need more for the work and part we play in this world... But only arriving there by defacing other elements is not it.. Devalue it, ( which is what is going to take place and already has.. ) making it disgusting...It is going to damage it farther.. It is going to push people to find something that is safe from its reach.. not something that is going to be a point of conformity.. That will bleed out into the artist, private record labels/producers.. all of it eventually.. it may happen to only free them for a better day... It may happen because they HAVE to.. It may now be the better choice..

I remember several records/samples I have listened to.. in the past.. I remember the rants of the young black man in dreads on the street of the local scene.. I remember some of the roots from which many will as well.. That constantly spoke of the industries control and repression.. theft..and many other aspects... At the time it was something 'cool' to listen too.. Not necessarily the words being spoken but ideal behind it, which was communicated the best..but now for some reason; it has an all too familiar ring to it.. Its corrupt.. of the true definition of thing which it blindly takes action to protect..It shouldn't represent this way...

[zz4spd]

nowadays, kids aren't happy unless they have like 3000-5000 mp3's on their harddrive, ipod, etc. if i were a digital artist nowadays, i would have my own site strickly for downloading of music [and advertizing] in any HQ format you want at a cheap, cheap price. like 50 cents a song or something. my teenage years were in the 80's, and my only way to get music cheap was from columbia records mail order or record my music off the radio. i was proud of my collection back then. i paid for pretty much all of it too, one way or another. there should be such a site that would benefit all artists and their fans, just my thoughts. when i buy something, it belongs to me, and i should be able to do what i want with it, share it or delete it, dont matter.

[JessicaLeigh]

my teenage years were in the 80's, and my only way to get music cheap was from columbia records mail order or record my music off the radio. i was proud of my collection back then. i paid for pretty much all of it too, one way or another.

zz, you're taking me back to the day... this might sound a bit strange, but do you remember how the cassettes had a unique smell about them after taking off the cellophane? Some things will stay with me for life, and that's one of them. I remember bugging the hell out of the folks at the local Record World store as to when a favorite artist's new album would finally hit the selling floor. I even worked at Sam Goody for the holiday rush back in 1987, and loved every minute of it. :)

[HX1]

LOL.. odd you mention the smell..same thing from CD Covers..

[karachidude]

Goooo...Mr Hammer :D

[HX1]

You know.. have quite a few spindles of CD's that I used to back up my music ... dating all the way back to 2002...End of 2001 - 2002 was really a bad time for me.. ( edited long content out here ).. anyway the last manufactured Disk that I purchased was ' Lords of Acid - Farstucker '... in 2001...I bought it at Tower Records in Dallas, Texas.. I purchased an external in 2007... ( In need of another ) .. and the only time I even technically NEED a disc is to make a bootable Live CD or PE CD...only a few cases /instances where I have actually needed it..I mean I could buy a FlashDrive to make better use of things..( and I should )

Now if you think about that.. there are eight years.. there that me Mr. G.Q. Poeazz... has not been in need of such a thing.. What IS the industry doing? ... What is the hardware industry doing even...

I think this is all a good point..:thumbsup: Just really got me when I realized it has been eight years since I purchased a CD...