In case you missed this on Reuters today, nine major music corporations sued Project Playlist in a US Federal Court for infringement of their copyrights on music and videos. They have gone after a major Internet player.
There are about ten million downloads from the ProjectPlaylist each day. There are a lot of people using their services, and they are on high on the curve with the file sharing software they use.
So in this corner, hiding behind their lawyers, we have: Atlantic Recording Corp, Elektra Group, Capitol Records, Interscope Records, Motown, UMG labels of Universal Music Group, Virgin Records America, and Warner Bros in several forms of its corporate manifestation.
The major music labels are setting up a battle against filing sharing. They knock down one big player, and their lawyers will have a field day on those who keep providing us a way to file share.
That puts you and me in the other corner, folks. We are hiding behind the guys that make file sharing possible. It is time to make a decision on where we stand on this, and what the issues are.
One third of all Internet traffic is now said to be file sharing. Major Internet service providers and music corporations are setting up to put a lid on this traffic. ComCast got caught trying to limit bit torrent traffic, and lost that battle in court. That was a battle, not the war.
The other day, in a post called “The Money Connection,” I stated I was getting tired of the major music labels constantly demanding that I pay for the same music over and over again. All they do is repackage it, and expect me to pay once more.
Living in a small tourist town in Guatemala, I meet travelers from all over the world. It seems everyone has a music player and shares files freely. With these folks, the mention of American copyrights, gets a blank look in return.
As we talk, I do find a very definite attitude that does get expressed. This is an attitude about the Internet that corporate America is missing. People from around the world believe that their ability to communicate and share on the Internet is their right.
Most Internet users think file sharing is important. Many use it on Facebook and uTube everyday to share blogs, videos and music. We used to call the Internet, the Information Super Highway. It still is, but I can hear the mummers of the controllers in the distance.
And yet, I wonder if this is not about more than money. If the corporations find a way to stop file sharing, they have put a stranglehold on our ability to communicate with each other, except in ways they control. That is not a pretty picture.
Seems to be a wake up and smell the coffee day. Smiles. ET
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