majestikc
Thinking about file-sharing? Don't. You'll get fined, and crime doesn't pay (unless you rob banks and/or armored cars, then it pays very well). Take it from Jammie Thomas, who was fined $2 million for downloading 24 songs, or anyone else who tried to fight the RIAA.
Instead, try another crime, because plenty of them draw far lighter penalties than downloading Jason Mraz's latest.Here are seven crimes that will get you smaller fines than file-sharing:
1. Child abduction: the fine is only like $25000.
2. Stealing the actual CD: the fine is $2,500
3. Rob your neighbor: the fine is $375,000
4. Burn a house down: The fine is just over $375,000
5. Stalk someone: The fine is $175,000
6. Start a dogfighting ring: the fine is $50,000
7. Murder someone: The maximum penalty is only $25,000 and 15 years in jail, and depending on your yearly salary, would probably be far slighter a penalty than $2 million for file sharing
Seriously, murdering someone will result in a lighter overall penalty than downloading a bunch of songs and getting caught. Granted, you don't get shivved in the showers at home, but still.
majestikc
Just for the record I'm not for or against file sharing etc, I just thought it was pretty interesting that the legal system has become that scewed.
NorioDS
This is so typical of big-business having more power of law than they should have. I'm 100% for supporting the musos. 100%!! But the record companies rape the musos and then rape the public.
Scuse my rant and, of course, not all record companies are evil. But I basically see this how I see the TV licence thing. Someone, somewhere, with lots of money, helped make those fines/penalties as big as they are. And it grates my cheese.
Ray
Some time back my mother was involved with some family welfare organizations and they nailed an oke who was having his way with his 6 year old daughter. Actually caught in the act and all. Also made some money from making her available to pals. Got three years and walked out after 18 months, rehabilitated and ready for society. If I remember correctly, at round about the same time Greg Blank got eight years for shady trading with Old Mutual bucks. Had to sit the term as I remember. So the message is straight and simple, money is god.
majestikc
I think that last NIN album which Trent Reznor gave away for free as a torrent and on his sight, and sold a deluxe edition as well made him more money than any of his other albums on a big label did.
If I remember, as of last year, a 4 piece band with an album out on a big label that sold 500 000 copies would only make each band member around $4000 each in total.An average cd goes for around $10 so that's $4000 each off of over $5mill.
So as far as bands go, it seems small indie bands doing it themselves are only NOW starting to win and can make a decent living off music by themselves, it's only the big corporate record companies that were screwing the bands anyway that are loosing out.......and you have to give file sharing a bit of credit for that shift, it's a double edged sword in favor of the artist.
Anybody who hasn't already seen it should check out the film BEFORE THE MUSIC DIES, it cost me $1 to download (legally) from the sight and it really is a must see for any musician in this day and age.And it's not cheaply produced either, it's a pretty slick documentary narrated by Forrest Whitaker with interviews from Eric Clapton and Dave Mathews etc.Check it out.
Neps
Record companies are is the root of evil IMHO!! The exec's will sell you out if your 1st album isn't what they expected. Then you end up carrying the loss, and then you've also lost the rights to those songs.
The dream of getting signed, is just that, a dream.. And I think it's more correct to say it's a nightmare. Record companies help with promotion, and getting you to play decent gigs, but as far as money goes, I think the best is to be Indie. When I was young and stupid (now I'm just stupid), I dreamt of getting signed.., that dream evaporated as soon as I spoke to guys actually signed in SA and saw the shlep they go through to get a small advance for a recording.
Thus, I've decided to start making Afrikaans sokkie treffers!! Loads of cash, loads of Pretoria oppies, loads of beer.. Actually, why am I still typing here, I should be writing the next 'Kaptein, Span die Seile!!'
DonovanB
In the land of the internet, Free is king.
I have often downloaded music only to love it so much I go and buy all the albums off amazon. A cd will mean a whole lot more to a true fan.
majestikc
A lot of bands don't realize that a recording deal is basically a loan, if the record company loans you $1m to make and sell a record, and it fails, then you still owe them that $1m back as a band......that's a lot of flipping burgers at McDonalds for a long time to repay them, and if the album does well, the band only starts to see there tiny cut AFTER the loan has been payed off through sales and the Producer's and label exec's have earned there share etc.
Getting a record deal is the worst thing a band/artist could ever possibly do, especially in this day and age, 15yrs ago it wasn't possible to make a good sounding record in your bedroom so you pretty much had to go to a studio and pay that cost.
majestikc
I've often downloaded music only to think "why did I waste internet cap", even if it's FREE, if it's crap I still don't want it.
But personally I've definitely spent more money on bands now because of file sharing and being exposed to a lot more music, than ever before.
That can't be a "bad" thing.
