In Reply to: Not so much, IMO. posted by rbolaw on June 19, 2012 at 11:44:00:
"Both consistently act in accordance with the basic laws of supply and demand, profit and loss, cost, efficiency, and utility."
I disagree, it wouldn't be that hard to swipe someone's iPhone, but my guess is you haven't gotten one that way because your ethics prevent you.
"neither the musicians nor the end consumers needed an industry for these replication and distribution functions any longer."
Well, while technically true musicians DO need a music industry for music to be anything but a hobby.
"Even the third traditional function of the record labels -- promotion -- is being rendered increasingly obsolete by the internet."
Well, no, any large-scale promotional campaign still requires large scale promotional machinery. Weakened record companies simply have to direct their efforts and resources to their best hopes of "sure bets" rather than waste any money on anything that isn't.
"So low, in fact, that most recorded music literally isn't worth selling."
How you come up with that statement I don't know, I imagine you aren't aware what it costs to make a professional recording.
"And complaining about Emily's ethics isn't going to change things very much."
Well, the point of the article was not to complain about her ethics, but rather to point out that it IS quite simply a matter of ethics. She speaks of convenience, there are plenty of legal avenues that are every bit as convenient as the black market ones. When it comes down to it, ethically, she (and the people she represents) does not choose to steal her computer, her internet service, her cell phone, her headphones or her monthly cell phone plan, and pays significant sums of money on a regular basis for them. But ethically she feels comfortable taking the music for free and thinks that it's not worth spending $8.99 once for unlimited plays of an entire album which probably cost anywhere from $10k to over $100k to make. She also feels it's ethically acceptable that the musician that is the reason she spends all that money receives $0.00, while the large corporations receive many thousands of dollars from her over her lifetime so she can enjoy that music. The point is not to deride her for it, but to point out that it IS in fact a matter of ethics and nothing else.
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Follow Ups
- RE: Not so much, IMO. - David Smith 16:15:15 06/19/12 (20)
- If you're right, three things will likely happen -- none of which are Emily's fault. - rbolaw 18:01:38 06/19/12 (19)
- RE: If you're right, three things will likely happen -- none of which are Emily's fault. - David Smith 19:24:49 06/19/12 (18)
- Blaming the consumer - rbolaw 08:25:35 06/20/12 (17)
- No, blaming the thief. - David Smith 09:45:09 06/20/12 (16)
- Sorry I can't get my point across to you. - rbolaw 11:10:29 06/20/12 (15)
- I understand your point fine - David Smith 14:10:23 06/20/12 (14)
- Then you understand - rbolaw 19:32:09 06/20/12 (8)
- Nope - David Smith 19:53:42 06/20/12 (7)
- The technology is already there - rbolaw 06:33:43 06/21/12 (6)
- You still don't understand - David Smith 07:12:38 06/21/12 (5)
- I do understand. - rbolaw 08:43:49 06/21/12 (4)
- No encryption-beating necessary - David Smith 09:14:16 06/21/12 (3)
- RE: No encryption-beating necessary - rbolaw 11:34:27 06/21/12 (2)
- RE: No encryption-beating necessary - David Smith 12:14:19 06/21/12 (1)
- RE: No encryption-beating necessary - GEO 09:00:32 06/22/12 (0)
- This is why I pay for my music and don't give it away - GEO 19:14:07 06/20/12 (4)
- The thing is - David Smith 19:40:17 06/20/12 (3)
- Virtually every aspect of our society is corrupt and lacking what we'd call ethics. - Rick W 08:59:00 06/21/12 (1)
- I'm sure you're right about not eliminating it - David Smith 09:21:49 06/21/12 (0)
- RE: The thing is - GEO 05:25:17 06/21/12 (0)