I think everyone should have figured it was a joke before seeing the onions name at the bottom. :p

I knew it was a joke because I recognize Onion writing when I see it, but I think the fact that many here thought it was TRUE is what's really scary about the public perception of the RIAA.

Agreed 110%.

While I do understand the beauty of satire, I honestly can say that I wouldn't see this being far from reality.

It may be my own biased, but I really do before the RIAA is totally wrong on many of the measure that the blame the decline of sales on. I honestly would not put them past anything to try to save face or to make another billion dollars or so.

When the members of Metallica or Britney are standing in the breadline, then I will take there messages more seriously.

BUT...on the flip side of this, and still respecting the satire of the Onion, there are many songs that seem to find their way to the internet early. Most of the ones that make it out early come from promotional radio items. Also, think of how many times you have downloaded something and you hear a DJ announcing the song from one of the nation's top stations. Just food for thought.

So you have to be poor to have legal rights to your property?

That is not what I mean at all Dodging. What I am simply saying is that I have a hard time hearing from someone that you are stealing from them when they have nearly a million times more than what the common man will ever have in their life.

Oh, ok. From your first post it sounded like you thought it was a serious article.

It had me going for a few lines, until I recognized the style. Sadly, though, it's believable.

And this is the same argument I've had ever since the hayday of Napster. For me, I rarely buy new CDs anyway, me downloading music didn't cause one penny to be shifted either way, and I did find some new artists. When they shut down Napster, not only did the record companies kill the goose that laid the golden egg, they chopped off it's head, shat down it's throat, buried it in a shallow grave, desecrated that grave, kicked it's mother in the shins, and then molested it's father.





Ok, gotta get in a bit of a threadcrap: What really convinced me it was a joke when it refered to Lars Ulrich's output as "music". :)

wouldn't be surprised if that happens someday. afterall, the riaa has to sue somebody once all the internet swappers are gone. they gotta keep making those millions $$.

here's the riaa's next court battle:

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...et_swapping_20


although I can't seem to find much info about it, isn't some national refund thing going on now for overpriced cds?

Excellent point Dodging Cars. Personally, I may only download a few tracks "I Should Have Known Better" after watching A Hard Day's Night DVD for the first time, "Don't Stop" when I was waiting for Forty Licks. However, on the whole, I purchase all my music. Considering I am 18 and listen to mostly classic rock, sometimes at school I feel like I am 100. Still, unauthorized copyrights transfer is just that, unauthorized.

Also, if you honestly believed that RIAA would do anything to radio, you deserve to be fooled. The RIAA and Clear Channel (owner of about 80% of radio stations in America) are in bed together, with the RIAA paying CC to play more and more of those "hits."

Though the RIAA needs to see that instead of branding this practice of p2p file sharing as priating, they need to see the good that can come of it and what they could use it to SALE stuff. there is a major profit to be made, but they just choose to see it as a bad thing

I'll believe it when it's reported that Geoff will sue the otters for use of his web forum!

Since i'm a music fan [and DJ] if I downloaded it, chances are they were never going to get my $$$ anyway. The only exceptions for me would be:

• "extended" oscar soundtracks

• unreleased mixes

• instrumental versions

• radio edits [for language -- though, before we moved to our new studios I could get away with playing Prince's "Sexy MF" UNedited. Ahh those were the days :D]

• rare OOP albums [As a side note on OOP stuff, i'm wonder why the RIAA doesn't concern themselves with someone selling a CD/LP/Cassette on eBay? Similar to Used CD Stores, aren't they missing out on their piece of pie? -rolleyes-]

• if there's a PRErelease posting that I anxious to get [DMB, India.Arie, & Janet come to mind. All were bought when they were released.]

Now I realize not everyone is like that, but that's what works for me.