mcHammer is right!
The problem is not the users, it’s the industry!

Provide the music to the people for what it’s worth.. stop thinking about micracle money… artits should not be making that kind of money anyway unless they are amongnst the MOST PROLIFIC ARTIST OF ALL TIMES!

(this will also stop all the stupid empty (30 mins) albums… )

Damn people! They’re all alike..

Another kick in the buts eh MAFIAA?

Thumbs up. But I have to agree MC’s statements won’t do a thing to the industry. They aren’t just come out of their lethargy just because he said what has been being said ad nauseum… Still, nice when the actors voice their opinions contrary to the industry.

The present: Profits from album sales have plummeted. Record companies are suing anyone and everyone they can, including torrent site administrators, ISPs, and even their own customers, in a desperate and vain attempt to retain the old (profitable) system which they alone controlled

The future: Only those directly responsible for the production of music will receive remuneration, including of course artists themselves, sound technicians, producers, etc. They may have to recoup their salaries from concert ticket sales, or sales of other (physical) merchandise that can’t be digitally copied. Whether this is fair or not is no longer the question. It is inevitable.

On the issue of record companies suing ISPs: Nobody would tolerate their post being monitored or intercepted, or their phone being tapped without a warrant and reasonable cause. Why should this be any different online? The only agencies with the power to enforce law are law enforcement agencies with legal instruments (e.g. warrants) licensing them to do so. If ISPs are given the power to monitor and disconnect suspected copyright infringers, this is a major breach of privacy (and human rights) and will only result in the increase of anonymous networks (i.e. VPNs, which has already been seen in Sweden) This will itself probably result in record companies going after VPNs in order to enforce THEM to monitor and disconnect infringers.

I do agree that those genuinely responsible for the production of the music I love should be remunerated in some way – how this will actually work remains to be seen, when the shrapnel and dust caused by record companies firing every legal canon available have settled.

Until that time I’ll continue to download music. If record companies can’t control their rampant greed long enough to come to an acceptable compromise with consumers (and some services which I would be willing to pay for aren’t available in my locality for – guess what – legal reasons) — and if they can’t match or attempt to match services currently provided for free — then they deserve their inevitable fate.

damn, he was considered cool, when I was like 10. guess the old timer has some spunk left in him. :D