As I read more and more about the bills regarding protecting intellectual property on the internet I find myself slightly at odds with myself. Here in lies the problem. I firmly do believe the idea behind this bill has a great deal of merit. However in its current incarnation it poses the threat of placing more power into the hands of the government. I’m not going to spout off a whole bunch of paranoid ramblings about how the government wants to control our free thought to prevent revolutions like we saw this past year in the Middle East. I’m so tired of hearing that garbage. I’ve got a second amendment right to bear arms if there’s a revolution that needs doing. But right now no, it hasn’t gotten that bad yet.
As a musician I’m proud of the fact that I own all of my own work and I would very much like to see my work render me some kind of monetary return. However as of yet, I’ve only provided my work on the internet for free because I don’t feel that I should make you all pay for something that hasn’t cost me a thing. That is MY CHOICE, because I OWN THE INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY. That will change with “You Can’t Come Home”. Yes you’ll be able to stream it for free on ReverbNation but you’ll also have the opportunity to buy the mp3’s and the CD from the site as well. By the time this album is done and released I will have put in over a year of hard work. That doesn’t even count the guys who have helped me on this album, donating their time and expertise. I really want to be able to cut them a check from time to time even if it’s only five bucks. The amount of time and effort I put into this album is absolutely nothing compared to the time a resources put into an industry album. Let alone the gross capital.
Really we have no one to blame for these bills but ourselves. With the rise of file-sharing sites like Napster, the American consumer feels that art should no-longer have any monetary value. We feel like art doesn’t belong to its creator or owner it belongs to the world. You enjoy my work I’ve given to you freely, but is my song-writing helping pay my student loans? No, Target’s doing that. Have we all noticed a decline in the quality and innovation in the film and music industry? It’s because the big entertainment brokers can’t afford to take a risk anymore. They have to have a safe bet to get their money’s worth. Pink Floyd wouldn’t have survived in today’s industry, that’s why we’ve got Justin Beiber. And The Reservoir Dogs would never see a theatre, that’s why we’ve got Michael Bay’s Transformers.
Piracy is out of hand no-matter your stance on the issue and it does need to stop. But this bill needs some serious work. It doesn’t need to amputate websites from the internet like an infected limb. It needs harsher penalties on those who commit piracy. And it needs to see that copy-right owners see their just royalties.
For those who don’t quite understand the record industry let me put it to you simply. Record companies are loan sharks and they walk away owning all of your work. You see pennies on your album sales. Not a lot. And you would say, “We’re just sticking it to the greedy record industry!” Yes you are, but you’re also hurting the individuals who provide you with hours of entertainment and make it impossible for new artists and creators to come along. Do I enjoy Lynyrd Skynyrd? Yes. Will I listen to Bruce Springsteen the rest of my life? Absolutely! Do I want those artists to be the only thing I want to listen to the rest of my life? Hell no! I can’t wait for the next Warren Zevon or the next Beatles.
Do I support stopping these bills dead in their tracks? Yes. Do I think we need a better more thought out bill to put a stop to piracy? Yes I do.
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