256 DEAR HACKER

256 DEAR HACKER

a compliment, not a threat. There is so much more than just music and movies out there on the Internet, yet all you ever hear about is the media. I think this is partially because the production companies seem to be the most threatened by all of this. If people can go straight to the artist, who’s going to need a production company to take 90 percent of the profit?

What’s the difference between downloading music and recording something off the radio or TV? If they’re going to make file sharing illegal, they should make tape recorders, DVD/CD burners, PC sound cards, VCRs, and basically anything else with recording capabilities, illegal too. The industries seem to be more afraid of change than any- thing else. What they should be doing is figuring out how to use this technology for their own benefit, not trying to destroy it. Imagine what would have happened had the movie industry gotten their way and destroyed VCR technology.

It’s almost as if the RIAA is begging for a rebellion. Their actions of “let’s sue everyone and maybe we’ll get lucky” seems to have just encouraged people’s downloading because it certainly hasn’t stopped it. And no matter what they do to try and stop this, the technology will eventually get cracked and people will be free to trade once again. Look what shutting down Napster did. It didn’t stop anything and the file trading spread all over the Internet and nearly everything is now being shared. With most of these files being shared on peer-to- peer sites that have no central location, they’re basically impossible to shut down.

The RIAA’s current actions are basically a present day witch hunt. It’s funny, they’re always talking about these evil teenagers that have no respect for copyright and other people’s work. Yet a good percent- age of people sharing these files are adults. I wonder what people would think if someone’s 90-year-old grandmother was busted for file trading. Because you know she’s out there somewhere, waiting to get caught. Maybe we need something like that to happen, just to prove how ridiculous all of this really is.

Jeff

T H E M A G I C O F T H E C O R P O R AT E W O R L D

It’s already happened to senior citizens as well as to a 12-year-old. Considering the RIAA is involved in marketing some of the biggest performers in the history of man- kind, they certainly should be doing a better job marketing themselves.

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