This is horrible. I read this article a couple weeks ago when I was in arrowhead on vacation...just never got around to actually finishing writing about it.
When will record companies realize they can't expect to sustain by suing their consumer?
Remember the mantra, "the customers always right?" It's never been more true than in this instance with the sale music. Adjust policies and approach. Obviously suing your consumer won't work because putting ridiculously high settlements that they can't afford will land them in jail or prison. If you send them all to jail/prison...who's left to actually buy music?
I don't know why labels are desperately holding on to the old paradigm of sustainability. They are X'ing themselves out of existence.
Recording companies are manipulating the legal coverage of the copyright laws. People who are download music aren't claiming creative rights, they arent re-selling (some anyway), nor declaring sole ownership -- please forgive the exaggeration. The point I'm trying to make is this: file sharing is among the highest and most effective forms of marketing -- I chose marketing over promotion since labels may feel that they are loosing money, then tack file sharing in the marketing column and consider it an investment.
In the article I'm referring to (link here) the record companies are suing a teenager for approximately $750 per song he downloaded. With that logic, thats like being sued by snuggie for $1000 because I stole a 5 dollar snuggie from target, took it to the beach and shared.
You know what copyright infringement lawsuit should be filed? How about soulja boy putting his music on limewire and labeling it as one of 50 cents hit songs-which he actually stated he did during a radio interview.