This was an email to a friend, but I found it myself getting so passionate over it, and the content so rich, it had to go up here Enjoy! :P

I’ve been reading the news on the web for the last hour or so. The whole RIAA deal is really pissing me off. If you don’t know about it, which I’m guessing you do, cuz most people besides me wouldn’t lol, I’ll tell you. You share MP3’s, and you download em. Simple enough right? Napster went down about 2/3 years ago now. Morpheus, Kazaa, Limewire, and Imesh sprung up in it’s place. Well that’s all well and good. Napster was attacked because it was the music industry’s only means of lashing out. Well they nailed napster, but Kazaa and Morpheus run on something called Peer to Peer sharing or connecting (P2P). This allows for downloading of files from other peoples’ computers, and not just from an online database or a physical hard drive server somewhere. Before when you used Napster, it actually would upload your mp3s over time to a server and offer them there. Of course the problem being if that server went down you were screwed and SOL. So now that the recording industry can’t attack file sharing networks, I mean Napster went down and within WEEKS 38 sprung up, they’re going after the users, and pissing us all off MORE.

I don’t know if I’ve ever discussed MP3’s or pirated music/software with you, but I’m pretty firm on my stance that Music is for everyone. I don’t think it’s cool to steal or rip off the artists, so my philosophy is usually that when I download things, or an album persay, if I really like it, I’d go and buy it. Case in point, Linkin Park Meteora. I bought that a day after dl the new album. But it’s the industry’s fault for being greedy bastards. When you buy a CD do you know how much of that money goes to record artists? Less than 2%. That’s a pretty shitty deal for them. Now 90% of artist income comes from concerts and venues etc. So if I support a band I go see em in concert I can be confident they’re getting my money.

I think it’s very unfair that if an album only has like one hit or a even a few good songs I should have to buy the album loaded with 10-15 songs of filler crap. When I think about it, I used to switch CDs when listening in the car etc VERY often. This only changed when I started burning my own CDs because I was making the mixes I wanted, with the songs I wanted to hear. But take the first Third Eye Blind album. I’d listed to Narcolepsy, Semi-Charmed Life, I Want You, Jumper, and Graduate. Ok lol, bad example. But then again this was a time period when albums were good as a whole. You know the whole put in a CD and listen to the whole thing? That’s so rare it’s like a bleeding live cow on a plate. Last album I found like that, you got it LP’s Meteora again. I mean I could listen to Live’s Throwing Copper, Blind Melon (self titled), and any Stone Temple Pilots album straight through and like every song. Back then an album represented a collective whole from a group. Like a snapshot of who they were at that point in time. This is what artists are whining about now lol. RHCP actually made a statement to the same effect. The problem is, artists aren’t giving us good snapshots lol. Bands tend to get wussier over time, and it’s evident everywhere. Take Stone Temple Pilots, for example, Loved their first 2 albums. 3rd album was good, still a little rockin’ hard. Their 4th effort… Sadly Sour Girl wasn’t that good to me. They got softer as time went on. But hey that’s what new bands are for. :P

So the answer? I download MP3s. I steal music, yes, and I’m proud of it. Lol. Some people collect stamps. Some people collect dildos, and I hope I never meet those people lol. I collect mp3s. There’s some kind of pride that goes with having every MJ song ever done. Something about being able to carry 1,865 songs with me (yeah that’s how many are on my Ipod RIGHT this minute lol). Music is such a favorite thing of mine, I wouldn’t have it any other way. But like I said the record industry is now going after the users themselves. What a great way to piss us all off more and make us more stubborn! Yaaaaaay! They’re issuing subpoenas now to people sharing files. They’re supposed to be targeting people with large collections (like a thousand songs and up), but they’ve got after people with as little as 10 songs shared. Who knows if they’re trying to make an example or if they’re trying to be full in their suing coverage. Now listen to the repercussions: Any given song that is copyrighted can cost you $300 (ok…) to $150,000. (Ahh!)!!!!!!!!!!!! Ridiculous. Take ME, for example. I’ve got 45 GB worth of MP3s. That’s over 11,000 files. Let’s do the math!

11,000 (approx) X $150,000 (as a max) = $1,650,000,000.

Woah….That’s not million, that’s one billion, six hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Just rape me with a dildo of thorns. It might be preferable to that ass raping. Now of course no one could ever pay that much. And there are people out there with LARGER music collections than me. Scary eh? If you don’t use Kazaa++ or Kazaa Lite, I suggest you switch immediately. And don’t give yourself a user name. Be anonymous as a user. They’re actually busting people for this. I’ve known people already. Ridiculous, but better to be safe than sorry. The attorneys have said they’re “open to settlement.” In layman’s term that means we’ll take all you’ve got if you don’t have as much as we’re suing for. Sad, sad world. Anyways that’s my stance on MP3s and all. I think the industry are idiots, and that MP3 and illegal file sharing will never be stopped. You physically can’t. It’s like weed, you can’t stop it, but you want to make yourselves look busy like you’re trying to do something. It’s like SMOKING. You can put all the warnings you want on the pack, you can make the entire pack the warning and people will STILL smoke. You could make it a black pack with a skull and crossbones and call them Tumors and people would still smoke. Why? Cause it’s a drug and they’re addicted lol. But people will do what they want to do most of the time. So in my opinion what they SHOULD focus on is smart ideas like ITunes. Or BuyMusic.com (hasn’t launched yet but it’s Buy.com’s answer to the legal dls of music.) ITunes offers $.99 downloads per song. A full album for $9.99. Not bad eh? Considering all the music I listen to is either

A) On my Ipod
B) On my computer (Winamp etc)
C) On burned CDs
D) Very rarely old CDs (and only if I haven’t ripped them to MP3 which IS legal if you own the CD)

I’d be willing to pay for MP3’s at .99 each. That I can understand. However obscure shit like Jackson 5 songs from the 70s that no one gives a shit about except for probably me lol, those I’ll get free thank you very much. I’ll sample favorite artists before buying their album to see how much of their album has become filler crap, and if they are any worthy songs on there that make me happy one of my favorite bands came out with a new album. Digital music is the future, but the industry is too ignorant to accept their losses. Lars Ulrich should have just kept his mouth shut (You know who he is right?) and realized that Metallica got their start from illegal bootlegged tapes. Some artists know the deal and they’re smartening up. Pearl Jam releases all their live concerts on CD for like $5.99. That’s more reasonable than $18-$23 right?