We're All Thieves Now: Copying Your CDs Is Illegal!

I am SO pissed off.  I'm livid with Sony.  You know, the big music conglomerate that is suing individuals for "pirating" music files.  I wrote a few weeks ago about the first of these lawsuits that went to trial.  Jammie Thomas of Brainerd, Minnesota, was taken to court and ultimately lost against the record companies.  She was ordered to fork over $222,000 to six record companies for sharing 24 music files over the Internet.

While I was reading up on what went on during the trial, I came across a series of statements made by Jennifer Pariser, Sony's head of litigation.  She stated that in Sony's view, a person is pirating music when taking a purchased CD and making a copy for one's self.  Ripping CDs and putting the finished results on your computer, your MP3 player, or any other device you own for your personal use would be considered stealing music.  Buying music on-line and putting it on multiple devices is also viewed as illegal.  Ms. Pariser and Sony believe that the only way an individual can be considered innocent of music theft is if one copy of a song is purchased for each audio device you plan on using to play the song.  So, if I have a CD player, two computers, and three MP3 players in my household (which I do), and plan to play a song on all of them, I need to buy SIX COPIES of the song to remain legal!

Who in God's name ARE these people?  And what planet do they come from??

The only other industry that has an issue with copying its product, software development, at least allows their users to make a backup copy of their product in the event of a disaster.  In fact, some companies state in their EULA (that's "End User License Agreement") that the software can be used on one computer at a time.  If I install the software on one computer and then later decide I want to move it to another, I can.  That's part of my licensing agreement.

And there's the key.  When I buy software, I don't really own the program.  I have purchased a license to use the software.  It still belongs to the company I purchased it from.  When upgrades come along, my license may allow me to get updated versions at either no or minimal cost, and sometimes support is included.  But for as long as I can remember, when I bought a CD or a cassette or an 8-track or a 45 or an album (yes, I was alive during the vinyl years), it belonged to me.  The record company never asked me to register my song with them, or fill out a form for support or upgraded versions of the song.  I was never told I had to buy an album for my home stereo AND a cassette tape for my car stereo if I wanted to listen to the album in both devices.  If I broke the 45, or the cassette tape melted on the car dashboard, I had to go buy a new one to replace it.

AND THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT THE MUSIC INDUSTRY WANTS!  The ability to back up a CD (or DVD) in digital format means that when your CD gets scratched or broken, you just pop in your backup and off you go.  That's what's killing the music industry.  We consumers don't have to buy replacements any more.

Several years ago the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) told the Supreme Court that they found no problem with users making a backup copy of digital media.  Of course, now we get to watch them backpedal as the repercussions of their comments affect the industry's profits.

"It's my personal belief that Sony BMG is half the size now as it was in 2000," Pariser said during the trial.  Of course, all of that is due to music piracy.  It has nothing whatsoever to do with poor business decisions, or lousy management, on the part of Sony.  The music industry in general haven't done anything - like, say, put out bad music, or sign lousy clone bands to record lousy cover songs, or ignore all the signs that people in the Internet age were liking on-line digital music because it was cheaper - to cause this problem.  Example:  How many contestants in five seasons of "American Idol" have cut albums?  How many do you own because they're just so good?  You see my point.  (I bought Chris Daughtry's album...that's it.)

Most businesses, when faced with a downturn in sales, do things like cut costs, re-examine their market, and promote products that the consumer would want to buy that would boost their bottom line.  The music industry evidently feels that the best way to increase sales is to criminalize the customer and bully them into buying things they don't want at a price they cannot afford.  And they can't understand why they're losing business?  Do they not realize that you don't change the rules in the middle of the game and make them retroactive, especially without notice?  What have these people been doing, taking lessons from politicians?

All I know is I'm going to go ahead and rip my latest CD purchase and put it on my MP3 player, because that's where I listen to all my music.  And then I'm going to buy stock in a company that manufactures plexiglass stomachs, because I sure don't see these people pulling their heads out of their anal canals anytime soon.