Re: A short Napster

["Kevin B. O'Brien" <kob1@ix.netcom.com>]

On Thu, 13 Jul 2000 18:34:27 -0400, "Mark R. Leaman"
<mleaman@sccoast.net> , late of Pablo Fanques Fair wrote:

>> My main hope at this point is that the digital technology will
>> destroy the big record companies. It just might. And that is what
>> they are afraid of.
>
>And what I'm afraid of too, because it means the end of big bands as well.
>No more "Who's" for future generations. You think this is a GOOD thing? And
>you're the guy who won't make copies of copyrighted material????? What do
>you think Napster is all about????

Napster is just a technology. Every time technology advances, the
dinosaurs try to stop it. DAT they pretty much stopped, videotape
they tried to stop, and now with DVD they are trying the same thing.
I have no interest in copying copyrighted material if I can purchase
that material legitimately. I happen to belong to a performing
group. We often tape our performances, and make copies for the
members of the group. But we cannot make digital tapes because the
RIAA pretty much made it impossible for anyone to buy a digital tape
deck without paying protection money to them first, and that puts it
out of my reach. Fortunately, the price of CD burners has been
coming down, so I will finally be able to make digital copies of my
own music without paying off the RIAA.

Secondly, why should I give a damn about big bands, if indeed this
means the end of big bands? It isn't their bigness I am interested
in, it is whether they make good music. Get rid of the record
companies, and a lot of artists can actually do better. Aimee Mann,
for instance, started her own company and sells through her Web
site. She gets $2 on every CD she sells, and doesn't have all the
bullshit from the company. The last record she recorded under
contract the company wouldn't even release, for heaven's sakes. She
bought it back from them, released it herself, and it is doing well
both critically and commercially. And I note that neither The Who
nor Pete are under contract, and are selling their latest release on
the Web. Hmmm....I wonder that is all about? 

The record companies, MTV, and the radio stations are primarily
filters that keep you from hearing anything they don't want you to
hear. I say screw them all.


-- 
Kevin B. O'Brien                  TANSTAAFL
kob1@ix.netcom.com
History will be kind to me, for I intend to write it.
 -- Churchill

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