Have you tried making music that doesn’t suck?
The RIAA is n outstanding example of what can happen when the love of money far outstrips good faith, goodwill, good business, and just good common sense. How else can one explain the track record of greed and moneygrubbing that has led the RIAA in nightmare after public relations nightmare, led them to bite hands attempting to feed them, and generally lowered the consumer’s opinion of the recording industry nationwide?
If you need a good refresher as to how bad the RIAA has been for the recording industry, you might want to check out this compilation of their greatest hits provided by Dark Lanternist.
Among some of the hits,
The recording companies have been putting serious pressure on Apple’s iTunes to change its pricing to a variable structure. They believe that the more popular content should cost more, and want Steve-o to break the $0.99/song fixed cost. After Mr. Jobs called the industry’s leaders ‘greedy’, the gloves came off and real threats started to be issued.
And this classic track:
At about 1:30 p.m. on June 8, a squad of NYPD officials, private investigators and attorneys busted into Kim’s Video and Music, located on St. Marks Place in the East Village—intent on locking up employees whom they believed were selling and manufacturing pirated CDs. Officers sporting bulletproof vests immediately began ushering startled customers out of the store. The remaining officials got down to the business of drilling the store employees. They lined them up and ordered them to identify the store’s managers on duty that day. The cops wanted the managers in handcuffs.
Where were you the first time you heard this touching tune?
The legal threats by Warner against Ritter are part of a larger campaign by the company to rid the Internet of lyrics websites. “What disconcerts/disappoints me most is that now, after fighting against illegal filesharing (something I can fully understand) and trying to shut down lyrics sites, Warner/Chappell seems to want to dictate Internet users what applications they are allowed to use for searching and browsing content on publicly available websites,” Ritter said.
And who could forget this solid gold hit?
In an address to American students Cary Sherman, president of the Recording Industry Association of America, has praised Sony BMG for its decision to install controversial rootkit technology in audio CDs as an anti-piracy measure.
They’re all available as Dark Lanternist presents Faces of Greed. Available on CD, cassette, and 8-track. Vinyl available soon.