RIAA

Medialoper Bebop Episode 26: Washing Your Mouth Out With SOPA

December 20, 2011 by Jim Connelly

The week, Kirk, Jim & Tim take a look at the Stop Online Piracy Act, and how its destroy-the-net-to-save-it approach towards internet piracy (or “piracy,”) threatens pretty much the entire internet as we know it.

Thank the gods that the United States House of Representatives is on the case!! (05:19 – 13:29)

Meanwhile, Louis CK (whose name I inexplicably mispronounce) shows exactly how stupid the screams of “piracy is killing our business” are by releasing a DRM-free, consumer-friendly concert. (13:31 – 24:22)

Then, it’s my latest Barry Bonds theory: he’s the Gaius Baltar of MLB! (24:23 – 27:06)

Finally, what’s in my mix? Real Estate, Wild Flag and a great single by Yuck. (27:07 – 30:36)

All that, and pot-smoking raccoons!

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 40:43 — 55.9MB)

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Medialoper Bebop Episode 23: Zen Arcane

November 18, 2011 by Jim Connelly

This week, Tim, & Jim and a very yelly Kirk tackle the following subjects:

First, in a brand-new segment entitled “Explain it to Kirk,” Tim & Jim explain the Twilight phenomenon to Kirk. (3:35 – 8:50)

Then, it’s reported death of the Compact Disc, which — according to some reports — is going to be abandoned by the major labels as soon as the end of this year. (08:53 – 18:00)

Here’s the chart we’re talking about in the podcast:

Also, iTunes Match has been launched, and we debate whether or not it’s worth shelling out $25.00 a year for. The answer may surprise you, though probably not if you’ve ever listened to our podcast. (18:13 – 26:10)

Once again, Medialoper Bebop Commissioner Gordon Loper harasses us with a phone message. And to spite him, you should probably follow us on Facebook. (26:11 – 28:07)

Finally, it’s a very deep look at a very deep album, Hüsker Dü’s landmark Zen Arcade, as it is inducted into the Medialoper Bebop Great Albums Hall of Fame. (27:22 – 47:58)

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 54:47 — 75.3MB)

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DRM, Digital Content and the Consumer Experience: Lessons Learned from the Music Industry

March 1, 2010 by Kirk Biglione

This is a screencast of the DRM presentations I gave last week at O’Reilly Media’s Tools of Change for Publishing conference.

How The Music Industry Garnered Record Profits in 2008

December 5, 2008 by Jim Connelly

With Chinese Democracy topping 1.5 million in CD sales and downloads in its second week — for a two-week total of 5 million, the best ever — it is now official: the American Music Industry has never been healthier. Even in what is easily the most crippling recession most of us have seen in our lifetimes, people are buying music at a record pace.

How have they done it? According to Frederick Stamphammer, the RIAA’s Vice-President of Digitization — and the man seen by most insiders as the key figure behind the transformation of the music industry into a virtual profit machine — it was by seizing the opportunity afforded by the internet nearly 10 years ago.

Customer Service Through Litigation: The RIAA Institutionalizes Its Business Model

May 14, 2007 by Kassia Krozser

I admit to being a bit old-fashioned, but in my mind, good customer service rarely involves suing your customers. But, for the past several years, that’s just what the RIAA has done. Nothing creates a warm and fuzzy feeling about an industry faster than threats. Makes you feel wanted.

Illegal downloads are a problem. I maintain — because frankly, the RIAA has offered nothing in the way of hard evidence — that the amount of money being lost is quite a bit less than what the press releases suggest. I believe this simply because every download does not represent a lost sale. In many cases, the songs would have gone unsold, unheard, unnoticed.
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Five Lessons The Music Industry Can Learn From AllofMP3

October 23, 2006 by Kirk Biglione

The recording industry has been waging war against Russian-based music websites for years. While the industry has successfully litigated most file sharing networks out of existence, they haven’t had much luck stopping sites like MediaService’s AllofMP3. Despite the RIAA’s best efforts AllofMP3 continues to sell digital downloads to music lovers around the world, while technically complying with Russian copyright laws and licensing agreements.

While complying with the laws of your country may seem like a loophole here in the United States, it makes perfect sense to a company that’s based in Russia. Unfortunately for MediaServices that the loophole is about to be closed. There are signs the Russian government is planning to crack down on grey market download sites like AllofMP3 in an effort to gain admission into the World Trade Organization.

Regardless of what you think about the legality of AllofMP3, there’s no denying that MediaServices has created one of the most innovative and consumer friendly digital music services around. AllofMP3 is so well done that the “legitimate” recording industry could learn quite a bit by studying it. Hopefully the major labels will take a long look at AllofMP3 before it gets shut down.

Here are a few lessons the music industry could learn from AllofMP3:

The RIAA and the Blogosphere – Like Oil and Water

July 19, 2006 by Kirk Biglione

Is there anyone or anything more universally despised throughout the blogosphere than the RIAA? Seriously, when was the last time you read something positive about the RIAA? My guess is never. Chances are you’ve read dozens of stories about the RIAA’s heavy-handed anti-piracy maneuvers, and even more that portray the organization’s leadership as hopelessly out of touch with reality.

The interesting thing about this is that the RIAA doesn’t seem to be aware that the blogosphere exists. If they are, they certainly aren’t taking it seriously. The RIAA comes across as being completely dismissive of its critics. It’s almost as if they think that acknowledging their critics might be seen as a sign of weakness. In my darkest nightmares I fear Karl Rove might be secretly running the RIAA.

More RIAA Madness: Part 2, The All-Seeing Ear

June 20, 2006 by Jim Connelly

Yesterday, you may recall, I discussed the RIAA sending cease-and-desist letters to the people who upload videos of themselves lipsynching to popular songs.

But that’s just the beginning: we’ve learned who they are targeting next, and in a Medialoper Multiverse Exclusive, are revealing it to you today.

More RIAA Madness: Part 1, In League With The Terrorists?

June 19, 2006 by Jim Connelly

It just seems like harmless fun: people filming themselves lipsynching popular songs, and then sending the results to YouTube and Google Video. People have always done stuff like this: probably the fifth film ever made — after an accidential shot of the floor; sex; a cute puppy running around; and someone else filming the filmer — was somebody pretending to play a Scott Joplin song.

And people have been doing it ever since: it’s a Great American Tradition to totally make a fool of yourself on video pretending to perform a song you love. God bless the U.S.A.

Of course, sometimes other people see these videos, and there are unintended consequences.

Teaching Kids About Copyright Laws

June 3, 2006 by Kirk Biglione

I have no problem with the concept of teaching kids about copyright laws. After all, kids are the future. We’re doing it for the kids. Feed the children. Save the world. etc. etc. etc.

However, copyright is a complex subject that most adults don’t fully understand. When I say “most adults” I’m referring specifically to the RIAA, the MPAA, and other entertainment industry executives who routinely misrepresent the specifics of copyright law in an effort to intentionally confuse the public.

My concern is that programs designed to teach kids about copyright laws amount to little more than entertainment industry propaganda. Fair Use and the Right of First sale are routinely left out of copyright discussions, as are the concept and importance of the public domain.