by owbowagowy » Fri Jun 23, 2006 5:54 am
The information below is for everyone but most of all it's for Dean (see below in bold). I hear you talking about bringing Journey down with all this evidence you have. Regardless of what you may think you are in the wrong to post the samples. You do not own the right to upload the music for the public to hear. This is not about what you think that Steve and the band are doing. It's about breaking the law. If Journey was doing what you say they are it's not against the law. You on the other hand are breaking the law. Look it up yourself. It will be you who will lose in the end. All this because you think someone is lip-synching. Ask yourself when you get up in the morning. Is it worth it? Breaking the law to prove a point that isn't even illegal? My advice to you is call it a day. You made your point.
From the RIAA
Anti-Piracy
Old as the Barbary Coast, New as the Internet - No black flags with skull and crossbones, no cutlasses, cannons, or daggers identify today’s pirates. You can’t see them coming; there’s no warning shot across your bow. Yet rest assured the pirates are out there because today there is plenty of gold (and platinum and diamonds) to be had. Today’s pirates operate not on the high seas but on the Internet, in illegal CD factories, distribution centers, and on the street. The pirate’s credo is still the same--why pay for it when it’s so easy to steal? The credo is as wrong as it ever was. Stealing is still illegal, unethical, and all too frequent in today’s digital age. That is why RIAA continues to fight music piracy.
"Piracy" generally refers to the illegal duplication and distribution of sound recordings. There are four specific categories of music piracy:
Pirate recordings are the unauthorized duplication of only the sound of legitimate recordings, as opposed to all the packaging, i.e. the original art, label, title, sequencing, combination of titles etc. This includes mixed tapes and compilation CDs featuring one or more artists.
Counterfeit recordings are unauthorized recordings of the prerecorded sound as well as the unauthorized duplication of original artwork, label, trademark and packaging.
Bootleg recordings (or underground recordings) are the unauthorized recordings of live concerts, or musical broadcasts on radio or television.
Online piracy is the unauthorized uploading of a copyrighted sound recording and making it available to the public, or downloading a sound recording from an Internet site, even if the recording isn't resold. Online piracy may now also include certain uses of "streaming" technologies from the Internet.
Many do not understand the significant negative impact of piracy on the music industry. Though it would appear that record companies are still making their money and that artists are still getting rich, these impressions are mere fallacies. Each sale by a pirate represents a lost legitimate sale, thereby depriving not only the record company of profits, but also the artist, producer, songwriter, publisher, retailer, … and the list goes on. The consumer is the ultimate victim, as pirated product is generally poorly manufactured and does not include the superior sound quality, art work, and insert information included in legitimate product.
Each year, the industry loses about $4.2 billion to piracy worldwide -- "we estimate we lose millions of dollars a day to all forms of piracy."
Music pirates are the first to lose because the recording industry and law enforcement officials are cracking down around the world. Do the crime and you will pay the fine or do the time.
Consumers also lose because the shortcut savings enjoyed by pirates drive up the costs of legitimate product for everyone. Plus, good luck returning a pirated tape or CD when the quality is inferior or the product is defective, as it often is.
Honest retailers (who back up the products they sell) lose because they can’t compete with the prices offered by illegal vendors. Less business means fewer jobs, jobs often filled by young adults.
Record companies lose. Eighty-five percent of recordings released don’t even generate enough revenue to cover their costs. Record companies depend heavily on the profitable fifteen percent of recordings to subsidize the less profitable types of music, to cover the costs of developing new artists, and to keep their businesses operational. The thieves often don’t focus on the eighty-five percent; they go straight to the top and steal the gold.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the creative artists lose. Musicians, singers, songwriters and producers don’t get the royalties and fees they’ve earned. Virtually all artists (95%) depend on these fees to make a living. The artists also depend on their reputations, which are damaged by the inferior quality of pirated copies sold to the public.
Breaking into the music business is no picnic. Piracy makes it tougher to survive and even tougher to break through. As recording artist "Tool" noted, "Basically, it's about music -- if you didn't create it, why should you exploit it? True fans don't rip off their artists."
Source Link: http://www.riaa.com/issues/piracy/default.asp
Owbowagowy