Save the industry, burn a free CD

This week the Recording Industry Association of America has put into motion another foolhardy plan attempting to block the proliferation of file-sharing software and mp3s on the Internet. On Sept. 28, the RIAA and its chairperson Hillary Rosen went before the House of Representatives for a hearing on "Piracy on Peer-to-Peer Networks." The RIAA claimed that the culture of online file-sharing, including such systems as Kazaa, Morpheus and Gnutella, is a severe problem to the music industry and must be stopped at all costs even if those costs require them to fight every single music fan with access to a modem.\nAccording to www.news.yahoo.com, the RIAA's new tactics to combat online piracy are set to include "blocking transfers and flooding the network with dummy songs." Harmless, right? \nThere is a darker side to the RIAA's death wish against the Internet file-sharing community. The House of Representatives subcommittee are worried about the possibility that anti-file-sharing software would affect a user's home computer or the Internet itself. Afraid that such a tactic could be the beginning of an Internet "arms race," many Representatives were outright worried about the RIAA's tactics. Virginia Rep. Dick Boucher publicly stated his concerns about such an arms race and its effect on the Internet as a whole. \nThe RIAA would have you believe that the file-sharing software downloaded onto your computer is so dangerous that it is currently bankrupting all of your favorite artists. Because you downloaded that copy of "Bad Boy 4 Life," Puff Daddy was forced to move out of his palatial estate and live in a box in the worst section of New York City. True, there has been a 10 percent drop in music sales since January of this year, but is this really Kazaa's fault or the fault of the same old pop that record companies are shoving down our throats?\nThe Sept. 8 issue of the Los Angeles Times reported a startling fact. It showcased a report done by Forrester Research stating that Internet piracy was too small a factor to influence the general slump in CD-buying in the past few years. Those who participate in file-sharing programs are actually more likely to buy -- legitimately buy -- CDs after being exposed to these artists online. \nAccording to Forrester Research, "The results, which record label sources declined to discuss, showed that 13 percent of avid online music users say downloading decreased their CD buying habits. But 39 percent say they bought more CDs because they found new bands -- and new music that they wanted to buy -- through the file-swapping services."\nIn fact, from the same report, there is the possibility that those who buy CDs after first hearing them online might actually produce $2 million worth of new revenue for the record industry. If this is true, then why does the RIAA fear this online file-sharing service so much?\nBecause the RIAA can't control or profit from it. Kazaa is an easy scapegoat for the RIAA. Instead of blaming themselves or their artists for a shoddy product, they instead choose to put the blame on a computer program that cannot think, feel or decide. Kazaa and its ilk are no danger to music, but instead to the music industry. If you love music, and if you don't think that paying nearly $20 for a single CD is worth it, then the RIAA thinks you're a criminal. \nCriminals of the Internet, go forth and get your music for free.