RIAA Goes Off the Deep End

Space-shifting (moving media from one location to another, ie. making backups), and format-shifting (changing a CD to MP3s to play on an iPod) are not fair-use, according to RIAA.

"Nor does the fact that permission to make a copy in particular circumstances is often or even routinely granted, necessarily establish that the copying is a fair use when the copyright owner withholds that authorization. In this regard, the statement attributed to counsel for copyright owners in the MGM v. Grokster case is simply a statement about authorization, not about fair use."

(from the EFF site)

In other words, just because you buy a CD, you may not have the rights to rip that CD to MP3 format so you can play it in your iPod. If the record companies want to, they can restrict that ability and sue you if you do it anyway.

Now, a year ago, they said this:

The record companies, my clients, have said, for some time now, and it's been on their website for some time now, that it's perfectly lawful to take a CD that you've purchased, upload it onto your computer, put it onto your iPod.

I'm starting to think that the record companies and RIAA want to make this issue as clear as mud, so that they can sue anyone they want to whenever they want to. I'm all for making money on intellectual property -- but I know how little most artists actually make on their intellectual property compared to what the record companies make.

What will eventually happen is that music fans will start finding independent bands and listening to them. It's far too easy for bands to produce and sell their own CDs now, especially when you have podcasters who are eager for podsafe music to play on their shows. RIAA will recognize this sooner or later -- and it looks like it will be later. They are slowly killing the music industry in the United States.

Maybe we should be thanking them. They are a parasite that is slowly killing off it's host, and they're too stupid to realize it.

Posted by Warren Kelly at February 16, 2006 04:21 PM | TrackBack