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Why the Movie/Recording Industry is Wrong

Everyone pretty much knows that the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) are on the warpath over unauthorized distribution of music and movies, primarily over the internet.

Most people should be aware that these organizations are engaged in a proxy battle against the American people (via Congress) to limit this unauthorized distribution.

The RIAA is fighting hard to get laws passed which will allow them to police the internet (through Internet Service Providers (ISPs)) and the MPAA has already gotten draconian laws passed to punish the evil-doers who might camcord a movie in a theater.

I have an analogy which I believe puts the whole thing into perspective, and shows conclusively, that the RIAA/MPAA are not only wrong, but hurting their own business.

Let's say that I am an artist.   A painter.   I paint pictures and then I put them out on the street on a rack to advertise them for sale.

People walk down the street, see the paintings, and some of them buy from me.

But then, some people come down the street, see my paintings, and just steal them off the racks.

So, I start attaching cables to the paintings to secure them to the rack.   So far, so good.

Then, along comes the '90's and digital technology.   So now, people can walk down the street and use a digital camera to take high-resolution pictures of my paintings and "share" them over the internet.

What should I do?

Well, if I was the RIAA, I would lobby hard for laws which would force all ISPs to track when my images were traded so that I could drop in with my lawyers and disembowel the "sharers".

Or, if I was the MPAA, I could try to have digital cameras forbidden on my street.

But, being a lowly street-front artist, all I can do is move my images inside.

But there is a third alternative.   I can allow the internet to do its work.   By leaving my chained-up images on the rack outside my studio, I can let the "pirates" market for me.   And the reason why this works is simple.   It can be summed up in one word: Authenticity.

Most consumers fall into three groups - 1)fans/customers, 2)zombies, 3)posers.

Number 1 are the fans.   These are people who will not be satisfied with owning a ripoff of my work - they will want to support me.   These are people who want something genuine.   They are the same people who insist on owning the actual CD/DVD of the music/films they love.   (By coincidence, they also happen to be the people the RIAA/MPAA are pissing off due to ham-handed attempts at copy-protection on legitimately purchased products.)

Number 2, the zombies.   I will rarely sell anything to these people.   They only have copies of my stuff because they're following some trend they noticed somewhere.   They don't matter to my business, except, as more advertising!   Someone (a future fan) could visit a zombie's place, see one of my (unauthorized) works and vow to own an original.

Number 3, posers.   Let's say I'm hot.   My images are loft phat, so the poser has to have originals...   'nuff said.   But, the poser who pirates will only be able to fake his game so long and eventually, he will get called out.   In the meantime, he is marketing for me!   Genius!

And that's all that needs be said.   Let 'em steal your stuff - digitally.   It will bring out the true fans.   the zombies and posers don't matter, except as marketing tools.   Which is what they are - tools.

However, the movie and recording industries, along with most of corporate America, have alienated so much of the populace through self-serving, bottom-line greed, that authenticity won't work for them automatically.   They will need to make initial conciliatory gestures - like:

• stop suing file-sharers, and just tacitly accepting file-sharing as a part of doing business


• Stop lobbying congress against their customers


• Coming out and admitting that file-sharing will happen, but they hope that the American public is "above all that"

This would be a good start.

Fuck the International Olympic Committee

The IOC wants Canada's government to give them trademark ownership of these common dictionary words, city names and numbers:

bronze
gold
olympic
medals
silver
sponsors
winter

Ottawa
Vancouver

2010
21st

Who the hell do these people think they are???

I am so sick and tired of gigantic, behemoth corporations buying laws to protect themselves from all those scary citizens with their internet connections and inkjet printers.

I've slapped together a 1024x768 wallpaper to vent my displeasure. Please feel free to download it and show your contempt for this craven idiocy.




(Oh crap! I forgot bronze! Check back later for new rev.)