[DMCA-Activists] RE: [DMCA_Discuss] STOP Foreign RIAA Music Monopoly

[Erik Sliman]

Very true, and very sad.  Undoubtedly, pointing out that 90% of RIAA revenue is 
generated from foreign controlled media certainly helps the cause.  This is one 
of the points we must stress in helping people understand the picture.  

I am not so sure that every congressmen is open to this tune, because foreign 
control is what WIPO is all about.  They have been told that the DMCA, which 
would permit a lot of foreign control, is a tradeoff that will be more than 
paid for when we can reign in countries like China.  It is well understood that 
DMCA is a weakening posture designed to lead other countries to open up, 
strengthening US control there.  The primary beneficiary is presumed to be 
Hollywood.  WIPO is supposed to increase their exports.  

Thus, congress may not be all that surprised to learn that our music industry 
has become largely foreign controlled.  What will disappoint them is if it does 
not eventually increase the profits of Hollywood, their primary constituent.

Personally, I hardly consider rewarding Hollywood a high US priority.  They 
have bastardized art, commercializing it into spectacular sequences of 
predictability appreciated most by an eight year old.  Their influence on 
mainstream America has been degrading, slowly draining the American spirit.  I 
hardly see prospering them as highly beneficial to most Americans.  

The predicted growth in revenue from tightening laws in China is nowhere near 
the value of the freedom, culture and public interests we are losing in return. 
 It is nothing but an incremental increase in wealth, concentrated in 
Hollywood.  

It will rely on a corrupt Chinese government to further oppress and torture 
their citizens to increase the revenues of Hollywood.  Whereas criminalization 
of human behavior here is a sad trend, there it is a catastrophe.  Profit off 
human suffering seems to have been the status quo of the Chinese communist 
government for some time.  We are merely encouraging them to further ciminalize 
human behavior, subjecting more innocent people to suffering in Chinese labor 
camps for their support of freedom and democracy.  

It will be hard to convince a congress that foreign control is an unintended 
side effect of the DMCA when that is indeed what it was created to do.  It is 
still worth bringing it up to your congressmen.  It certainly can't hurt.  
Perhaps they will be one of the few to be surprised or a little concerned that 
their constituents aren't happy about it.  There's also the possibility that 
Hollywood hasn't funded the career of every congressman, although don't put it 
past Hollywood to donate to your representative's coffers as soon as they start 
to turn a sympathetic ear to the people.

I still call or fax my congressmen on current issues.  Such simple tasks should 
never be ignored even if we are resolved to do much more.  

What is clear from our battle with encryption export rules is that this is a 
call to battle that must spread throughout the Internet, using every possible 
angle, device and tool.  

Something is new this time around...

The Internet has grown tremendously since 1995, meaning that our ability to use 
it as a tool to organize and inform is vastly greater than it was when we 
vigorously fought the encryption and other battles, battles where our stamina 
proved key to victory.  This puts us in the winning position, and we must know 
this!  History does not tell us how to leverage this unprecedented availability 
of rapid global communication, nor can it define our limits.  Therefore, anyone 
who says it was tried before denies the truth that this point in the Internet's 
growth is unmatched, far greater than it was just a few years ago.  It is 
impossible that any attempt in the past could have included such a powerful 
tool of the people.  To think of all the victories of the 90s because of the 
Internet nonetheless boasts of what a great opportunity we have today!

The people must use this to regain control of our representatives!  If we 
don't, the very tool that currently enables us to do this will be taken from 
us.  

The victories of the 90s shows that there is a lot of hope.  Let's show the 
world that The People are the ones who matter, and the politicians and 
corporations are here to serve the purposes of The People!

Erik


-----Original Message-----
From: address@hidden
[mailto:address@hidden Behalf Of
address@hidden
Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2002 6:41 AM
To: address@hidden; address@hidden;
address@hidden;
address@hidden;
address@hidden;
address@hidden; address@hidden;
address@hidden
Subject: Re: [DMCA_Discuss] STOP Foreign RIAA Music Monopoly


Good Morning Erik,

You do realize that not ONE PENNY
of all the money collected by
RIAA Sound Exchange under “confidential”
DMCA Copyright Agreements made
with CPB-NPR/RIAA since 1998 has
been paid to ANY Artist, or small label!
RIAA has NOT PAID one cent of DMCA
money collected to Artists, or small labels.

Even Federal Tax dollars collected
from Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB)
in a secret CPB/RIAA agreement were never
paid to Artists and small labels.  Although
Steve Marks, RIAA Attorney says, they are
thinking about it.

RIAA has little credibility with members
of Congress, or others that know what
they are doing.  Let your member of
Congress know that you are concerned
about your tax dollars being collected by
a foreign controlled monopoly and not
being paid to Artists, as per law, and
you may see action!

When Congress realizes RIAA/ Sound Exchange
are expanding their music delivery systems 
(NAPSTER/ VUNET, etc.)
owned by BIG FIVE (nearly 90% of RIAA) and
that most (4 out of 5) are foreign headquartered
in Japan and Europe and they are using their
DMCA foreign monopoly power to shut down hundreds
of competing small webcasters you will see action.

Hundreds of educational webcasters (radio stations)
have been and are being shut down by RIAA monopoly
rates and rules that the Copyright Office may
well rubber stamp by June 20, 2002, under DMCA.

RIAA, the monopoly monster, is without organized
competition.  The foreign controlled BIG FIVE
have achieved a virtual monopoly (nearly 90%)
of revenues.  "Any (Artists/ Labels)
that disassociate, create a new entity, ..."
will be crushed by RIAA monopoly.  
RIAA/ Sound Exchange has withheld
their DMCA copyright fee payments
and built/ bought competing music
delivery systems to webcasters.


Fritz Kass
Intercollegiate Broadcasting System (IBS)
with 62 continuous years of service to
educational broadcasters and webcasters.
http://www.ibsradio.org
address@hidden
367 Windsor Highway, New Windsor, NY 12553
With 773 educational broadcast members
(95% of active educational webcasters)
    

In a message dated 5/28/02 4:03:18 AM, address@hidden writes:

<< >But ... ONLY FIVE Members of RIAA
>are causing the DMCA problems.

While there is some logic to what you say, I need to respectfully disagree.
Anyone associated with the RIAA is inherently supporting its methods.  Any
that disassociate, create a new entity, and present principles in support of
the public interest and artists might no longer be part of the problem.
Until then, their mass in numbers alone helps to give RIAA credibility among
other assets boasting the power of the RIAA.

The people should instead seek to identify and reward two other groups:

    - labels not part of the RIAA and holding "internet friendly" principles
    - artists that haven't signed

Artists and labels that are NOT in one of these two groups are part of the
problem.  A successful boycott to whom we choose to give those purchases in
addition to whom we don't give those purchases.  The dividing line should be
clear.

Rewarding other labels associated with the RIAA will do injustice to the
those that don't associate, and artists that don't sign.  It will also
divert dollars that could be used to build up a business model capable of
mooting the RIAA.  Let's make this not just about a boycott, but a high
redirection of our purchasing dollars towards our heroes.

Erik

 >>

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