Music Industry Tricked Artist Into Anti-Piracy “Witch Hunt”
Written by enigmax on May 01, 2008An anti-piracy documentary created by the music industry and supposedly supported by artists has been grabbing headlines during recent days. However, one of the artists isn’t happy as he claims he was conned by the music industry into appearing in the video, which he says is part of a “witch hunt”.
Over the last few days, an anti-piracy video produced by MIPI - Music Industry Piracy Investigations - and circulated around every high school in Australia, has been grabbing a few headlines. The 10 minute video which is designed to be easily spread around the internet, was apparently supported by many Australian artists with Lisa Origliasso of the Veronicas saying: “The problem with downloading obviously is that it’s ruining our industry in a way, because I mean you know artists just aren’t making money, record companies aren’t making money from it.”
Other artists supporting the project include Powderfinger, Silverchair, Jimmy Barnes, Operator Please, Gyroscope, Dawn Collective and punk band, Frenzal Rhomb.
Actually, to say that Frenzal Rhomb support the video is not exactly true. Their guitarist, Lindsay McDougall, is not a happy man this morning as he tears into the music industry, claiming he was “duped” into appearing in the video.
McDougall, who is also a presenter on radio station Triple J, told SMH that he was furious at being “lumped in with this witch hunt” and that he had been “completely taken out of context and defamed” by the Australian music industry. McDougall was told that the video was all about surviving as an Australian artist and no-one told him it was part of an anti-piracy drive.
He said: “I have never come out against Internet piracy and illegal downloading and I wouldn’t do that - I would never put my name to something that is against downloading and is against piracy and stuff, it’s something that I believe is a personal thing from artist to artist.”
McDougall goes on, stating: “I would never be part of this big record industry funded campaign to crush illegal downloads, I’m not like [Metallica drummer] Lars Ulrich. I think it’s bullshit, I think it’s record companies crying poor and I don’t agree with it.”
Echoing the words of many artists in recent times, McDougall decries the methods of the record labels, in that they are the ones making all the money and still complain about what they see as a lack of revenue, even though they failed to adapt to the digital age:
“I’m from a punk rock band, it’s all about getting your music out any way you can - you don’t make money from the record, the record companies make the money from the record. If they can’t make money these days because they haven’t come onside with the way the world is going, it’s their own problem.”
Sabiene Heindl, general manager at MIPI said they were very clear in indicating where the video originated and that it would be distributed to schools, but clearly McDougall is still concerned about his image being sullied by association.
“I don’t think i’m going to sue anyone but I would say that already this morning people’s opinion of me has been lowered,” he said. Not now you’ve set the record straight Mr McDougall.
Coincidentally, TorrentFreak has recently been in touch with a punk outfit who are embracing the power of the digital revolution and BitTorrent in particular. CEO Nick Vivid of MegaPlatinum.net said of their fledgling “Spread This!” BitTorrent network : “We are really enjoying the ability to embrace the punk aesthetics of ‘Do it yourself’ and ‘Call for Change’ - our aesthetics - with this system. There’s an amazing amount of chaos in the record industry. This total deconstruction of the system is exactly what helps us thrive. Our bands feed off of that energy, just as we do.”
Commenting on this situation, Nick told us: “It’s funny how organizations with intimidating names and non menacing acronyms will use deceptive means to warp the words and ruin the reputations of people like Lindsay McDougall - people who have a certain amount of credibility they’ve worked hard to get - in any way possible so that it fits their agenda. More sad proof that a large part of the music industry doesn’t care about the artists or the fans. It’s something else entirely they’re after. I’m surprised Australia let such propaganda in the schools. Microsoft recently proposed something similar in the USA. Thankfully enough people in our educational system saw the ridiculousness of the idea and squashed it.”
Stay tuned for an interview soon.
Previously: Mininova’s Traffic Doubles in a Year
Next: IFPI to Sue Swedish ISP for Facilitating Copyright Infringement
58 Responses
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Why I keep sharing files? Because I’m not a millionaire you scum of the earth.
Good one music industry !
How to kill yourself ? Keep on doing this !
Hey industry, don’t want to be douchebag dinosaurs stuck living in the 90’s? Free 128kb downloads and link to artist sites with FLAC offerings for $5.
Fuck your CD cartel, and get with the program.
I used to tape off the FM radio, and decide to get the CD after hearing it for a while without some radio DJ throw other crap around it and commercial ads.
Recorded music; radio-broadcast music; tapes; CD-R’s; iPods. Tell me, how much longer until you capitulate under the reality that file sharing will be the business model? And revenue will not be through your sick and twisted shakedown of individuals who only violating copyright because it has mutated into the current perverted model we face today.
Oh, if only the recording industry could come crashing down sometime soon. NOBODY needs them!
This is not a bad idea really. This will make every schoolkid aware of bands they’ve never heard of, and they’ll go home and start downloading from Limewire, or maybe even from school or their laptops or mobile phones.
Unfortunately the cartels will never give up without a bitter struggle. The only way to be rid of them is for artists to abandon them or any who oppose file sharing, and make them legally ineffective.
Preferrably confiscate all their ill-gotten wealth and give it all to artists and those whose lives have been ruined, and give all the execs and file sharer persecutors long jail terms.
Parents, know what’s going on and re-educate your children, teaching them what lies and propaganda is.
I can imagine the reactions. Like telling them sex and drugs are bad. Any decent teacher would explain the truth to them.
How dare they come here and do this, and be permitted to!!!! I hope I get to meet them.
i will pay anyone $1000 dollars to tell me the adress of any top ceo at any of the big 3 record companies so that i may put bleach in his gas tank and make his engine sieze. then, i will take a shit on his wifes chest.
Modern times are giving those bastards the creeps, they are watching the world’s crashing down on them so they just can’t afford more than one Maserati you see ….
I wouldn’t pay 15-18 € for a CD even if I earned loads of money a month, and you know why? Because IT IS NOT FAIR!
Get this in your f* heads!
LMFAO, now Frenzal Rhomb and The Offspring have something in common.
Should of seen when Kazpar was about to stick their CD on Napster, he pretty much shat on their record label (who in turn shat back on him, bastards).
To Australians
Don’t let this crap be shown at your school or at least give the correct facts to your classmates.
I seriously don’t get how this was allowed.
Wow what a stupid pointless video.. those 2 chicks were hot tho..
Well, you know what they say.
Girls just want to have fun.
most of supporting artists mention above is unknown to me. i wonder why?
Please be serious!
Every single economic problem ailing the record industry is due to BitTorrents and file-sharing? I guess all of the other issues over the past 50 years just disappeared!
What about a crappy Bush-Economy? Nothing to do with it?
What about repetitive re-mergers, and the sucking out of revenues, by the major record companies? What about labels that drop bands before they even have a chance to develop, depleting the pipeline of upcoming artists? Nothing to do with it?
What about lousy artists who just don’t sell (like Biohazard)? Nothing to do with it?
It’s all just propaganda spin by majors to cover their incompetent tracks.
Bill Wilkins, CEO
Melted Metal Web Radio
http://www.meltedmetal.com/
MIPI should bring this sort of education to the South Australia Police, not to the schools.
“I’m surprised Australia let such propaganda in the schools.”
Don’t concern yourself as Austalia’s older generations are fucking luddites. Australians are paying for it with their own ignorance.
Let’s deal with all these music execs. let’s raid their houses, let fuck up their cars and sink their boats.
Bring the pest killers and let be done with all these parasites once and for all.
Then the real music will be able to trive. Finally!
Lars Ulrich and Paul McGuinness - EPIC FAIL, for the sake of HISTORY!
Waiting for the great collapse!
WOW why this is such a dumb move now I want to go download some of these peoples CD’s.
Good job guys. lmao.
Don’t worry, people, no doubt the schools also offer opposition material from media the likes of “Steal This Film” for balance.
Surely they wouldn’t purposefully present only a one-sided opinion in a not-so indiscrete attempt to exploit impressionable minds for corporate profits? Nah, parents would never stand for it.
Any news on the forthcoming OINK casse ?
6th of may is the date …..
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