But the report that the RIAA has now filed suit against four students for sharing content over a university network is a moment of hope. If we work hard to report the details and reality of this suit, then the extremism of the RIAA’s tactics will finally get through.
Let this extremism finally force recognition of the best response to this problem for now: a compulsory license with a large carve out for non-commercial “sharing.” Napster proposed as much in 1998. Had Congress listened, then we would have had just as much sharing over these last 5 years, but artists would have 5 years of income, and fewer of our children would now be felons. Instead, Congress did nothing (except pass the Sonny Bono Act and the DMCA), and 5 years later, artists are no better off, our kids are now “terrorists” (such is the rhetoric of the other side), and the cartel of the RIAA is only stronger.
9:35:16 PM  ;
|
|
