>I dont agree with this punishment tactic.

I do. this shit went to trial. She had THREE chances to settle for lesser amounts. But her lawyers wanted to make her into a Civic hero.


>
>a kid who stole some jeans doesnt get 5 years in the fed
>pen...these people CANT pay the millions of dollars in
>restitution...so now what?


Don't do the crime if you can't do the tiiiiiiiiiiiiime. (C) Sammy


do we throw them in the joint?...we
>barely have enough room in the joint for the murderers and
>rapists...so these are hollow victories...


c'mon man. That's bullshit. OBVIOUSLY some crimes are greater than others. It's not a hollow victory. It's breaking up criminal activity, are we as a society in a place to pick and choose which crimes we enforce? you on that Bunny Colvin right about now...
>
>a four figure restitution makes a lot more sense.


and they offered her a small settlement. But her lawyers tried to Shawn Fanning the situation. "FUCK that, your honor...our client is a HEROINE!!!! She ain't gon pay SHIT!!!!!"


...its enough
>to make folks think twice but not clogging the legal system
>with endless appeals, etc because these folks dont have a few
>million to pay the RIAA for their duress...

bingo.


>
>yes, illegal downloading is a crime, but its like any other
>crime--not gonna stop anytime soon...
>


true.


>even if there were no way to download music illegally...folks
>would still trade music amongst themselves...that's been going
>on long before downloading...in the 80's, the dual cassette
>recorder allowed mad unauthorized duplication....same with
>VCRs....
>


which is why artists make royalties on blank media.

>
>we also have mixtapes and white labels...all illegal...

again, you speak truth.


>
>I think the industry, both artists and labels, need to focus
>on making the PRODUCT attractive to the consumer....people
>spend millions of dollars on bullshit erryday, recession or
>not...and when you look at the numbers, people still buy the
>shit they WANT TO buy...ask Taylor Swift or Lil Wayne...its
>the eternal business question--How can we make the consumer
>WANT to spend their money with us?

I think that's irrelevant, and people who say they download because of the lack of quality are full of shit. Am I supposed to believe they buy "good" stuff, but decide not to pay for marginal ones? Really?



>
>Speaking for myself, my problem is not with downloading per se
>but the mentality that folks HAVE THE RIGHT to
>download...people who are stupid and arrogant enough to think
>that its costs nothing to make music...


Testify, brother.



>
>I'm on some James Brown shit--take some, leave some...these
>days, even artists you trust are out to fleece you
>*coughQuincycough* and we dont think about THAT enough...its
>okay for artists to rob fans with shitty albums, shitty
>performances, and shitty attitudes("dont like my new wack
>money grubbing music? youre a hater!!!)but its not okay to try
>before you buy?


listening stations, man. AND let's be real. There's a lot of shit we should KNOW to stay away from,F'rill. we have to download a T-Pain cut to find out that it sucks?


>.you will hear/see only what
>these multimedia giants want you to hear and see...and youre
>going to hear it and see it INCESSANTLY until you like
>it.


Dog. As many conversations as you and I have had about new music, you're HONESTLY Typing this shit?

Did the Multimedia Giants put you on to Jazzanova? What about Studio Apartment? Owusu and Hannibal? oh...we went out and found them.



..too oftenm what I hear from young people is, "we know
>this is garbage, but its what we have...."...THAT'S fucked
>up...go on you tube and pull up some old song then read the
>comments...people, young and old, are saying BRING THIS KIND
>OF MUSIC BACK...


>
>the trust is gone...the relationship btwn the industry and the
>consumer is one-sided and abusive...a rebellion was
>inevitable...the industry so far has been unwilling to cater
>to the consumer...the bitterness and indifference will
>continue from comsumers if this does not change, on both a
>mainstream and indie level...


true.
>
>but on the consumer side...there's NO WAY your large
>collection of music should come from only illegal
>means...people need to be mindful that this is how some folks
>eat...you may not be sure about buying that new Jamiroquai
>album, but on the other hand, EVERY sale counts for some like
>Bilal(that kid just put out his SECOND record in 9 years
>because yall refused to lay your money down)...just be
>cognizant of that...that you can literally make or break an
>artist, that your selfishness can cause an artists to HAVE to
>close up shop...Jean Grae is living hand to mouth while Flo
>Rida is rolling in dough..that aint right...think to yourself
>just WHO youre throwing up that middle finger to---the
>industry or your favorite artist


agreed.


>
>In my opinion, if its an artist you aint sure about or the
>artist is inconsistent--give it a listen...if you like, gon
>head and lay that money down...and if the artist is someone
>that you are really into, you should most definitely BUY their
>album...and if the artist is independent, for God's sake tell
>a friend....youre not really a fan if you dont support...your
>sale is a vote for that artist...how will the industry know
>that you want more if you dont let them know that you want
>some in the first place?
>
>this aint a cut and dry issue to me...its far too
>complex...Justin Bieber can take a hit, Quadron cant...there
>are too many variables...
>
>