Although I am unfortunately not talking about aliens, the revenge of a normal guy or even people with superpowers living amongst us, I am talking about the website Megauploads.com. Specifically the revenge tactics used by the people running the website to then launch attacks against a number of the major Governmental websites in the US. Seriously, bringing down the websites of the FBI amongst others is a pretty powerful show of force. . . the guy at the centre of it, who is of course partially Skandy, calls himself Kim Dotcom
Now I know that is a sensationalist picture. Cool though. Proper Dr Evil stuff.
So they are going to close down the interest downloading/ uploading sites based on some legislation going through the US house of Assembly. The first one they have properly attacked is Megauploads with Dr Evil being arrested for breaches of copyright laws. The law has been halted based on the huge backlash that has been seen worldwide. Which, as well as bringing down high level US Governmental agency websites, also saw Wikipedia shutting down for a day.
Some music from a band that were discovered on the Internet
So this is huge isn't it? not the song, which is awesome, but this is new world vs the old world. This law has been originated with the Movie and Music industry as the main supporters (read: people supplying the lobbyist money) of it. It is a group of extremely large consortiums trying to apply the law in a world where that law can be circumnavigated very easily.
Morally, this is complicated for the music geek. You constantly hear the horror stories of artists' tales surrounding the music industry and their need to sell records as opposed to letting artists follow their muse. Which, in some cases has meant the downfall of great artists, and sometimes isn't such a bad thing. I can only shudder at the thought of how many 3 hit album artists would have made us endure their African/ Latin/ Jamaican/ Eskimo based albums if the record company had not told them no.
That said, it is clear that people such as Prince and bands such as Nirvana really were put under a yoke and told, 'same again, and again, and again, now'
Downloads changed all this. I have written here and here on how much more I prefer the digital age to the record and tape age. Without it I would not have found the awesome Ftanng
Not to mention 85% of the current music I am in to.
It does however become complicated because by using a downloading site you are breaking the law. Frankly, I couldn't care less. Run through the logic and it means that record companies do not get paid. Boo hoo, if you have an issue, here is a tissue, I hear you cry. However if the record companies do not get paid it means the artists do not get paid through record sales. Which means, we will never see the likes of Thriller and Rumours again.
Oh well, overrated by album sales anyway. Poor U2
. . it has meant that artists need to do a lot more live shows because by touring they can make money. It also means that bands have to use other means of distribution because they do not have the massive resources of the record companies behind them. That is what the internet is designed to do. Spread communication in all of its forms. If I am wrong, then please comment, but didn't some of the biggest artists in the world get discovered this way? i.e. Justin Beiber . . .
Doesn't also the cream always rise to the top? So, I stand here as a music geek, loving the internet, the ability to take my music anywhere because of the digital nature of it and loving the ready access I have to new music, through Youtube, itunes radio, and downloading sites. My favourite and the best bands are touring heavily and as such becoming better.
I didn't go through that bit did I? Surely, if a band is having to play more often in front of live audiences, it means that they either have to be good at either music or putting on a show. So the people who aren't, are going nowhere. Isn't that a good thing? What is interesting in all of this is who is actually big at the moment, through revival. For example, Iron Maiden. Maiden are now selling out venues around the world.
Why? Well simple isn't it? They are very good at music, and put on a great show. In other words , what the people want.
So, the losers are the music industry. My heart pours out with everlasting sorrow and remorse . . .actually no it doesn't at all.
Guys, there is a massive war brewing over all of this, and I , as I am sure you do, know who is going to win . .
us!
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