October 31, 2007
Ohio U. Plays Host to a Forum on File Swapping
Earlier this year, Ohio University finished atop the recording industry’s infamous list of institutions receiving the most copyright-infringement notices. But these days the university is singing a much happier tune: Campus officials say a ban on illicit peer-to-peer networking has cut down on piracy without restricting legal file sharing.
Now that it’s no longer perched on top of the industry’s most-wanted list, Ohio seems eager to join the debate over campus song swapping. Yesterday the university played host to a forum — called “P2P File Sharing: A 360° Perspective” — on its Athens campus, and it has posted video of the event online.
The discussion included veterans from both sides of the file-sharing wars, but it devoted considerable time to remarks from several musicians, songwriters, and agents — who argued that music piracy hurts not just platinum-selling artists and record-company CEO’s, but also industry members who aren’t nearly so well paid. As some of the speakers acknowledged, that argument can be a hard sell: Stewart Harris, president of Edisto Sound, bemoaned the fact that some college students in the crowd shook their heads when he referred to copyright infringement as “stealing.”
Many college file swappers say they would like to offer financial support to the musicians they enjoy, according to officials at Illinois State University, which is conducting a series of in-depth campus-piracy studies. But the same students often say they have no desire to support the recording industry itself. Clearly, the industry’s controversial lawsuit campaign has caused a backlash, and the Ohio event was at its most interesting when panelists discussed that theme.
Jonathan Lamy, a spokesman for the Recording Industry Association of America, argued that the lawsuits jump-started “a national conversation, as painful as it may have been at times, that has generated a better understanding of the law.”
“If our marketplace is the digital marketplace,” he said, alluding to the rise of MP3’s and the decline in CD sales, “we need to protect that.”
But Timothy Vonville, president of the university’s Student Senate, said the RIAA’s methods of protecting its turf had deeply damaged the group’s standing with college students. “The real problem is with the procedure and attitude adopted by organizations like the RIAA,” he said. “Students feel intimidated. That’s the truth.”
And college students might start to act on their distaste for the recording industry, according to Mr. Vonville. Some college groups are considering a plan to protest the lawsuits, he said, by refusing to bring to their campuses any musical acts represented by the RIAA. —Brock Read
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I totally disagree with the concept: listen to music for free.
The need to listen to an artist’s product does not give the right to obtain his music through any means. You want to be naive if you think that any rock/pop/jazz/etc. artist selected that career to enhance the history of the world. They are there to put their product in the marketplace. The more they sell, the more they make. It is obvious that the vast majority of students at universities do not have a budget for purchasing audio/video recorded “art”. Even after graduating from college, many individuals do not have that budget either. However, the need to listen or watch art does not justify obtaining the artists’ product for free.
The artists’ songs/videos are like any other product in the marketplace. You buy it, you barter for it or you steal it. If you steal it, then be responsible for your illegal acts.
I worked many years ago in the music business and even for us it was not that easy obtaining free music, AKA Gratis. Why this generation of students believes that any art expression, including music, should be obtained for free by any means.
Get with the program: you get what you can. If you cannot afford it at this time, then wait until you can. Can’t get a Bachelors’ degree until you finish your credit requirements. Right?
Whether you like it or not, it is the record label that makes an artist, it is their investment and technology that enables us to listen to them. It is the artist’s option to sign up with a record label or not. As a matter of fact, I haven’t seen any artist’s CD on display that has not signed up with a record label. Have you?
Whether you like it or not, buying a CD enhances the artist’s career and enables his audience listen to his music.
Regards, Francisco.
— Francisco Nov 1, 05:07 PM #
Francisco, perhaps you should re-read this part of the article:
“Many college file swappers say they would like to offer financial support to the musicians they enjoy, according to officials at Illinois State University, which is conducting a series of in-depth campus-piracy studies. But the same students often say they have no desire to support the recording industry itself.”
It’s not that we don’t want to give the artists our money, it’s that we don’t want to give our money to record label CEOs. The protest here is really against the corporatisation of the music industry.
— Hugh Nov 2, 02:21 AM #
“ However, the need to listen or watch art does not justify obtaining the artists’ product for free.”
— If a product exists that allows a person to download music or watch art for free, then it will be used. For example, there are software technologies that are “Open Source”. If consumers are not buying CDs, then that is what the music industry gets for failing to evolve to meet the needs of the technology driven music enthusiast.“Whether you like it or not, buying a CD enhances the artist’s career and enables his audience listen to his music.” —- No. Adapting to developing technologies and trends will enhance the artists career. There is more than one way for an artist to make a buck. They have to look beyone selling CDs. By going after the colleges and universities, the music industry is loosing to potential customers and revenue. ——> “Many college file swappers say they would like to offer financial support to the musicians they enjoy,”
— Buying a CD enhances both the artist and the companies bottom line. College students
and teens are aware that musicians have an ambition to place their products in the marketplace and make some money on the side.
— I worked in television production for a large university. You are incorrect when you say that “the vast majority of students at universities do not have a budget for purchasing audio/video recorded “art”.” Students are loaded with cash and they are ready to spend. However, students do have a tendancy to spend their money unwisely. The RIAA should “get with the program”. These anti-piracy campaigns may end up hurting the artist’s bottom line and your former collegues as well. The music industry should collaborate with students to develop a business model that addresses the needs of the student consumer and compensates the artist and the companies involved. Contrary to popular belief, students and people in general do not mind paying for things if the price is right. I have a collegue who recommended that a non-profit agency charge students for training. The agency previously offered computer training for free.
Once the agency started to charge, enrollment and retention increased.
“Whether you like it or not, it is the record label that makes an artist, it is their investment and technology that enables us to listen to them”
— The record label does have a role in making the artist. However, it is the customers dollar that enable the music industry to have the greens to enable the artist and the industry to engage in capitalism.
“It is the artist’s option to sign up with a record label or not. “
— How can they refuse? :)
“As a matter of fact, I haven’t seen any artist’s CD on display that has not signed up with a record label. Have you?”
— An artist has the option of creating their own independent record label. I have known local musicians who have made modest income from
selling music through the internet and music stores.
— Richard Nov 2, 06:22 AM #