RTP-area local music and culture

[Chris Rossi <rossi AT webslingerZ.com>]

Holden Richards wrote:
> The EFF proposes an alternative
>
>
> http://www.eff.org/share/collective_lic_wp.php
>
>
> Starting with just the 60 million Americans who have been using
> file-sharing software, $5 a month would net over $3 billion of pure
> profit annually to the music industry -- no CDs to ship, no online
> retailers to cut in on the deal, no payola to radio conglomerates, no
> percentage to KaZaA or anyone else. Best of all, it's an evergreen
> revenue stream -- money that just keeps coming, during good times and
> bad, so long as fans want digital music online. The pie grows with the
> growth of music sharing on the Internet, instead of shrinking. The
> total annual gross revenues of the music industry today are estimated
> at $11 billion. But that's gross revenues. A collective licensing
> regime for file-sharing can promise $3 billion in annual profits to
> the record labels -- more than they've ever made...
it may make a bigger pie, but it will also distribute it more evenly, 
and allow more people to compete and share in the profits.  this is 
exactly why we should support it, and also why the major labels aren't 
going to go for it--because they can't control it.  i do think this is a 
good idea and something like it will probably end up being the solution, 
but i expect the transition to be pretty ugly.  the major labels aren't 
going to give up their death grip on the industry so easily.  it'll be 
interesting to see what happens.  this is the best idea i've seen so 
far, though.

rossi