Let's make a deal

The worldwide recording industry is part of a vast media conglomerate with billions of dollars in turnover per year. They primarily help to market, promote, and occasionally even create, bands and 'artists' (there's a devalued word for you) with a proven track record. Which means that these performers themselves also earn millions upon millions.
The RIAA's fruitless battle against the harsh reality of downloading illegal music is mostly ridiculous because of the relative insignificance of the damage being done to these music moguls. Does anyone seriously believe that, say, Jennifer Lopez will be deprived of even one diamond-encrusted Rolls Royce because some teenager in an attic downloads one of her songs (say, "Jenny from the Block" or "My Love Don't Cost A Thing")?
So let's be honest about it, recording industry. You're obscenely rich, and so are many of your favorite performers. Neither you nor they need to get any richer. So here's my proposal:
Any musician or group of musicians who has made 10 million dollars or more from their music must now put their songs on internet for free within six months of the release of the CD that contained those songs. I think you'll notice that this will hardly affect your bottom line, while many more people enjoy your music. Because after all, that is why you went into the music business in the first place, right? RIGHT?

Posted by cronopio at 05:48 PM, June 21, 2005