http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/tech/news/a351270/facebook-google-oppose-us-piracy-bill.html
The act itself essentially aims to give ISP's ('Internet Service Providers' for those out of the loop) new powers to tackle websites that are used, and encourage, knowingly or otherwise, illegal downloading. The 'Giants' are against this basically... because they don't like not being 100% in control. Diddums.
It always surprises me when people 'Shit where they eat' so to speak. Do these companies not realise that the reasons why they have become so successful is centered around the content they exploit day after day? Take YouTube for example (a Google owned company) - over the half the videos watched on YouTube are music videos. Twitter - who are some of the most followed people on there? Lady GaGa and Justin Bieber (sadly). eBay - Think of the thousands of music and film-related items that are sold on there every day. None of these companies would be half as successful without content - in fact I would suggest that the internet itself would not be nearly as sexy as it is today without the appearance of creative content - so why do they feel they don't owe them anything?
Take the Radio for instance - Luckily in the UK the radio pays a license in order to play music over the airwaves - In the US however the radio stations managed to convince the judiciary system that radio is in fact a PROMOTIONAL vehicle for radio - therefore they shouldn't be charged for playing their records. Hang on a minute.... are you telling me that in the 21ST CENTURY where the radio airplay is at the LOWEST it has ever been - musicians need radio? no no no no no - I think you will find, my friends, that it is radio which needs music. Think of how many people would stop listening to the radio if it didn't play music - if ALL you had to listen to was Chris Moyles massaging his massive ego while chatting to his celebrity pals - except he wouldn't have any. Because they wouldnt be on there promoting records.
Apple is another culprit - Music made Apple sexy. Would you buy iPods if you couldn't put music on there? Apple owes half of its profit margin to the music industry - but instead it charges a 40% digital distribution fee to every track downloaded off of iTunes. This would be like Plastic surgeons paying Katie Price to have boob jobs. Where is the reasoning?
These big companies need music as much as music needs them. To think otherwise is not only stupid - but bordering on clinically insane. So why do these companies continue to unfairly fuck over the music companies? Do they not realise that the less people pay for artists records, the less artists' there will be?
The argument that people make of course is that artists make TONS of money from endorsements and touring. Which is to some extent - true. The sad and real truth however is that the actual percentage of artists that makes TONS of money from this - is small. And whats even MORE truthful - IS THAT RECORD COMPANIES DON'T MAKE MONEY FROM THIS. Its RECORD COMPANIES that are going bust, and being unable to invest in new talent. RECORD COMPANIES that are shutting down and dropping acts because they have no money to support talent. Whatever your opinion of record companies is - the facts are that they are the ones who take risks and invest enormous sums of money in order to promote the works of artists. The fact is that if people don't buy music - there will be less and less talent. It is ONLY record companies that have the resources and funds to nurture and launch acts. Record companies make their money from the sale of recorded music. FACT.
In life you have to pay for your health. In life you have to pay for water. When these things become free and readily available to everyone - it will be then be OK to illegally download music. While we still have to pay for the things we rely on for our survival - we will still need to pay for music. They say that 19/20 downloads are illegal. I've read that roughly 4 billion songs are downloaded legally each year so times that number by 19 = 76 Billion. That's a lot of profit lost that could've been invested in the next James Morrison, Lady GaGa, Adele, Amy Winehouse or Coldplay.
My pledge to you is simple - if you like an artist, and would like to hear them release more music. Donate £8 to buying their album. And do something good - hug HMV.
And to all the Internet giants out there who believe that music should be free - I leave you with the wise words of a recording artist who retired due to piracy.
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