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VINCENZOMJJ.
User deleted
I noticed there was some discruntled fans discussing their displeasure about me taking a stand on the PIRACY issue.
I do apologise if there is misunderstanding, but there has been some issues arising
that has been really hurtful to Michael. Recordings that have been "stolen" and passed around are disloyal. I get that there is a real need for everyone to hear and see "anything Michael" that they can, especially in this time when he is being extremely reclusive.
Michael has been violated to the extreme over the past few years, as we all know. If we want Michael to return to us, it will very important that at least, his fans honor and respect his talents to the utmost. Sharing stolen recordings and offering downloads that the sites and fans do not have ownership of, is not benefiting the world in healing Michael's trust.
Not only am I bringing this to everyones attention for Michael's sake, but also to everyone who is in violation of Piracy issues. It is possible there will be crackdowns on Piracy in the near future, and I would hate to see Michael's community be attacked. MJJsource is also restricted by these rules and regulations, probably even moreso than others. If MJJsource honors piracy, it is saying Michael honors piracy.
I am requesting that those who belong to the MJJsource community, to honor Michael in everyway. I know, no one is intentionally out to hurt Michael, but I think the very least we can do, is help him in regaining his trust, and our own integrity.
I am including two documents in this post to help clearify, to those who are not clear about Piracy, the issues we all need to understand.
Love,
Turkle
Anti-Piracy
Old as the Barbary Coast, New as the Internet - No black flags with skull and crossbones, no cutlasses, cannons, or daggers identify today’s pirates. You can’t see them coming; there’s no warning shot across your bow. Yet rest assured the pirates are out there because today there is plenty of gold (and platinum and diamonds) to be had. Today’s pirates operate not on the high seas but on the Internet, in illegal CD factories, distribution centers, and on the street. The pirate’s credo is still the same--why pay for it when it’s so easy to steal? The credo is as wrong as it ever was. Stealing is still illegal, unethical, and all too frequent in today’s digital age. That is why RIAA continues to fight music piracy.
"Piracy" generally refers to the illegal duplication and distribution of sound recordings. There are four specific categories of music piracy:
Pirate recordings are the unauthorized duplication of only the sound of legitimate recordings, as opposed to all the packaging, i.e. the original art, label, title, sequencing, combination of titles etc. This includes mixed tapes and compilation CDs featuring one or more artists.
Counterfeit recordings are unauthorized recordings of the prerecorded sound as well as the unauthorized duplication of original artwork, label, trademark and packaging.
Bootleg recordings (or underground recordings) are the unauthorized recordings of live concerts, or musical broadcasts on radio or television.
Online piracy is the unauthorized uploading of a copyrighted sound recording and making it available to the public, or downloading a sound recording from an Internet site, even if the recording isn't resold. Online piracy may now also include certain uses of "streaming" technologies from the Internet.
Many do not understand the significant negative impact of piracy on the music industry. Though it would appear that record companies are still making their money and that artists are still getting rich, these impressions are mere fallacies. Each sale by a pirate represents a lost legitimate sale, thereby depriving not only the record company of profits, but also the artist, producer, songwriter, publisher, retailer, … and the list goes on. The consumer is the ultimate victim, as pirated product is generally poorly manufactured and does not include the superior sound quality, art work, and insert information included in legitimate product.
Each year, the industry loses about $4.2 billion to piracy worldwide -- "we estimate we lose millions of dollars a day to all forms of piracy."
Music pirates are the first to lose because the recording industry and law enforcement officials are cracking down around the world. Do the crime and you will pay the fine or do the time.
Consumers also lose because the shortcut savings enjoyed by pirates drive up the costs of legitimate product for everyone. Plus, good luck returning a pirated tape or CD when the quality is inferior or the product is defective, as it often is.
Honest retailers (who back up the products they sell) lose because they can’t compete with the prices offered by illegal vendors. Less business means fewer jobs, jobs often filled by young adults.
Record companies lose. Eighty-five percent of recordings released don’t even generate enough revenue to cover their costs. Record companies depend heavily on the profitable fifteen percent of recordings to subsidize the less profitable types of music, to cover the costs of developing new artists, and to keep their businesses operational. The thieves often don’t focus on the eighty-five percent; they go straight to the top and steal the gold.
Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the creative artists lose. Musicians, singers, songwriters and producers don’t get the royalties and fees they’ve earned. Virtually all artists (95%) depend on these fees to make a living. The artists also depend on their reputations, which are damaged by the inferior quality of pirated copies sold to the public.
Breaking into the music business is no picnic. Piracy makes it tougher to survive and even tougher to break through. As recording artist "Tool" noted, "Basically, it's about music -- if you didn't create it, why should you exploit it? True fans don't rip off their artists."
Online Music Piracy
Online Music Piracy Effects
Online music piracy has had serious effects on the music industry. Online music piracy has caused some record stores sales to drop by 20% every year. Sources reveal that online music piracy is responsible for 2.6 billion downloads of copyrighted files every month through the use of such peer-to-peer services such as KaZaA and Grokster. KaZaA, the leader in online music piracy, has become the most downloaded software program in the world. 278 million people are now signed up to participate in online music piracy.
Fighting Online Music Piracy
To combat online music piracy, the AFM, the Recording Industry Association of America ("RIAA") and other concerned groups have begun a comprehensive campaign. One aspect of this campaign against online music piracy is to raise awareness and educate the public about the consequences that online music piracy has on the people who work in the music industry. To this end, we are part of a coalition that has launched a public awareness campaign to educate the public on online music piracy.
Online music piracy issues have been brought to Congress's attention by the AFM, the RIAA and other groups in the coalition. Online music piracy bills are now coming out of both chambers of Congress. Since online music piracy touches on such issues as privacy, copyright infringement, property rights and the evolution of digital media, many different Congressional committees are now addressing online music piracy.
To further counter online music piracy, the RIAA has started to issue subpoenas to the most egregious online copyright infringers. The AFM supports the RIAA's decision to pursue legal action against those who contribute to online music piracy, and we encourage Congress to enact legislation that will protect musicians' hard work against online music piracy. We know that the decision to sue music fans and consumers was a difficult one, but it was the last option available to combat online music piracy. Online music piracy deterrence is an issue that has strong bipartisan support in Congress. Many members of Congress agree with the AFM that online music piracy is no different than stealing a CD from a record store. Congress has been holding many hearings on online music piracy and there has been a flurry of activity on some of the bills before both chambers in recent weeks.
Online Music Piracy Legislation
One example of online music piracy legislation is H.R. 2517, the Piracy Deterrence and Education Act of 2003, which is being considered in the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Intellectual Property. The Piracy Deterrence and Education Act counters online music piracy by attacking illegal peer-to-peer file sharing networks through federal law enforcement agencies and a massive public education campaign. Under this bill, both the FBI and the United States Copyright Office are mandated to develop deterrence and enforcement programs against online music piracy. Participants on online music piracy would receive a notice and a warning before being prosecuted for their illegal actions. The AFM will continue to advocate for this bill's passage on Capitol Hill so that online music piracy will become a thing of the past.
For more information, please contact:
Hal Ponder - Legislative Director
[email protected]
(202) 463-0772
Fax: (202) 466-9009
Chris McGurn - Assistant to the Legislative Director
[email protected]
(202) 463-0772
Fax: (202) 466-9009
SOURCE: http://www.mjjforum.com/forums/index.php?s...topic=64599&hl=
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PIRACY, Honoring MichaelBY KAREN FAYE |