File Sharing Declared Legal in Canada

[Rene]

"Sharing copyrighted works on peer-to-peer networks is legal in Canada, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday, handing the record industry a sharp setback in its international fight against file swappers. "
Full story:
http://news.com.com/2100-1027_3-5182641.html?tag=nefd_lede

A very interesting development in the file sharing issue.  In Canada, as in the United States and other countries, the recording industry claims that the decline in record sales is mostly due to "illegal" file sharing.  Do you buy that?  Or is it due to a lack of quality in their product?  Are CDs overpriced?  Is a levy charged on purchases of blank recording media as we have in Canada sufficient to offset the alleged losses caused by copying and sharing? What are your thoughts on the subject?

[Joel]

When a CD lists for close to $20 ($18.99 I believe), and I can buy a DVD for between $10-15, something is definitely wrong.

That Don Henley article recently pretty much put it all in perspective. Media deregulation here in the US has had a huge detrimental effect on the industry, and not just CD sales. Radio is as much to blame as anyone. And where MTV was always on the cutting edge in introducing new bands back in their early days, now they don't even play music. I honestly believe the internet is the future of the music industry, as more and more bands are finding out they not only can record an album without spending cash on studio time, they can also finance the recording and marketing through their own fan base. Distribution seems to be the final hurdle to acquiring new fans, existing fans know that most bands have their own webshops. But as internet radio, and even subscription based services become more popular, that hurdle too will be overcome.

No one, especially not P2P, is to blame for the woes of the record companies, but the record companies themselves.

[The_Lurker]

I think sales declines are a combination of all of those things. Lousy artists who sound the same make for very little musical "choice." Too many good bands are dropped after one album if it doesn't sell instantly. CD prices remain too high. The record companies and the retailers have combined to keep prices high, while giving very little of that back to the artist. Pirating has contributed, though not nearly to the extent that the RIAA would have you believe. (Plus, if CDs were more affordable, there would be less reason not to buy the real thing)

I know many, many people who use peer-to-peer music sharing simply to sample a song or an album to see if they like it enough to buy it. It's the same principle as "listening stations" at record stores, only from the comfort of your own home instead of standing like some cow in a stall at a record store. Plus, the choice of what to preview is yours, and not some tattooed, pierced teenager who works at the record store. (no offense to those who are pierced, tattooed, or a teenager)  

In fact, many of these people spend more on CDs now than they did before file sharing was possible, because they now know what to spend on and what not to spend on, rather than gambling that they will like a CD.

Sorry for the novel above. But if the music industry weren't so clueless as to what its customers really want, they wouldn't even have to worry about file sharing.

[Close2 The Edge]

I think The Lurker hit the nail right on the head.  I agree there is way too much shit out there today on the airwaves definitly limiting all choice to mainstream audiances.  There's 'artists' like Christina Agulara who's insulting Britney Spears for her impersonal music and calling her a 'performer' and not an 'artist' hense blaming her for the decline of pop music sales.  

The word hycocrite comes to mind about now seeing as to me all of this music sounds the exact same, no wonder people are just downloading the hit single and not buying the albums.  Same goes with new punk and alt. rock bands.  Only the popular bands who have been around for over five years with a loyal fan base are getting the record sales such as Blink 182, Incubus, and Live.  

I for one am very upset about the d/ling of movies (don't get me started), but as far as music is concerned I always download a track or two from a new artist before I buy the album.  For example, I heard the band A.C.T on DLBN and loved it so I d/led a few more songs which pushed me to buy the entire catalogue!  IMO CD's cost way to damn much but I've bought hundreds and will continue to do so because I have a passion (or addiction!) for it, and I really couldn't care less about the major labels turmoil this day and age - it's their own fault.

[Gruno]

There's 'artists' like Christina Agulara who's insulting Britney Spears for her impersonal music and calling her a 'performer' and not an 'artist' hense blaming her for the decline of pop music sales. 
The word hycocrite comes to mind about now seeing as to me all of this music sounds the exact same, no wonder people are just downloading the hit single and not buying the albums.

I am sorry but this can be said in any genre. You just don't like the genre so everything sounds the same TO YOU. It ISN'T the same. People who like heavy metal may look at pop and say it sounds the same. Jazz fans may listen to prog and says it all sounds the same. It is just preference. Someone doesn't like the genre, fine. Just don't define it as the same from artist to artist because it really isn't. Similarites are there but not the same.

--- GRUNO ---

[Yogi]

Testify, Brotha Gruno!  

[Rene]

I am NOT sorry, but what Gruno said is true.  However, the point is, no matter what genre you may prefer, the product being fed to us is by and large bland.  It's like they're afraid to take risks on anything that doesn't fit within a formula.  It's also that they think that's what we want, or what we don't know won't hurt us (or them).  If I turn on the radio or music TV channels, what I hear does sound quite generic, no matter what genre.  Even Country music.  And don't get me started on rap.  Every once in a while something stands out, but not very often.  I've heard WAY more diversification since discovering Internet radio.  The stuff the mainstream music industry isn't interested in.

I also agree with a point many people make regarding the quality of the "product", and that is that most of the time when they buy a CD, the one or two good songs they heard before buying turn out to be the only good songs on the CD and they resent paying as much as they do for what turns out to be a single with a bunch of filler.

The fact is, downloading is fast becoming the preferred method of acquiring music and rather than finding a way to take advantage of it, the industry is trying to fight it.  They did the same thing back in the 1920's when radio came along.  They looked at it as a copyright infringement, but eventually embraced it as a means of marketing their product.  There is no question in my mind that they will have to do the same with the Internet.

I think the decline in CD sales is due to a combination of all of these factors.  The industry is failing to keep pace with their market.

Interesting debate.