Who actually has a collection of music that they created from youtube? The number has got to be tiny. I haven’t heard of one person. Sometimes I will go on a soundcloud downloading spree when looking for audio textures to layer for video creation, but in that case I dump everything in one folder, use them for the project, and never return to that mess of a folder after it’s finished.

Are you seriously worried about a few kids downloading a few songs from youtube to listen to? Dood. It’s just as easy to GO TO YOUTUBE and listen to the song. These fears are simply political.

The music is in a lossy AAC format for the price of a CD. I don’t have the choice of getting either the original CD rip, a 1969 vinyl rip, a 2004 Japan SACD, or whatever. I have one option: a crappy remastered version. For around $10. I might as well buy my music used off of eBay, where my money wouldn’t even go to them so I might as well just pirate to begin with.

When it comes to movies and TV shows, that’s a different story. I’m fine with purchasing movies off iTunes or whatever service.

Not really, no.

Changing the fundamental laws by which the universe operates might do it. Not much else.

Nejtillpirater used to be the past master of that sad clown act but bobfail/F**ta does come VERY close.

It’s a two way street though — tech companies push the boundaries of content usage legalities, primarily since the music industry is set in its ways. The industry of the music business rarely see a need to innovate, as the old model has worked great in the past, so why would anyone ever change it, and want to infringe on all of our rights, and want to kill the music industry, etc. For a list of things that have killed the entire 10-billion-dollar music industry, see also: vinyl, cassettes, CDs, radio, Spotify, Pandora, …

It honestly comes down to how the concept of copyright is perceived and implemented, given that the current state of copyright is still based on the revolutionary printing press.

Just before MIDEM, YouTube fixed the audio-ripping capability offered by third party sites by de-synchronizing the video from the audio. (Cue whole discussion over whether that makes synchronization rights and licenses still applicable).

People who actively **want** to rip and steal music and videos will always find a way to do so, regardless of potential legal repercussions, regardless of ethics, regardless of angry people at MIDEM angrily denouncing pirate platforms run by evil corporations who hide behind DMCA safe harbors. It’s a service and delivery problem: if you make it easier for people to legally obtain or license content, and support composers, artists, creators, etc.; more people will be disinclined to pirate content.

That assumption is based on the idea that music companies and tech companies will one day collide in a positive manner; not in a scenario rivaling the cold war; in a location that is outside the courtroom.