File-Sharing Battle Leaves Musicians Caught in Middle
A few artists, like Metallica and Loudon Wainwright III, have come out strongly in favor of the record industry’s crackdown. It could be seen as a gutsy move, considering the criticism Metallica faced from music fans when it campaigned against the file-sharing service Napster, which was declared illegal.
In a new song, “Something for Nothing,” Mr. Wainwright makes fun of the mentality of file sharers, singing: “It’s O.K. to steal, cuz it’s so nice to share.” As for the lawsuits, he said that he was not surprised. “If you’re going to break the law, the hammer is going to come down,” he said.
At the same time, other influential musicians and groups — like Moby, System of a Down, Public Enemy, and the Dead — contend that the record industry’s efforts are misguided and that it must work with the new technology instead of against it.
Some interesting background in this article: who would expect the Backstreet Boys not to have been paid any royalties? Of course, they may have gotten advances that made the issue moot: entertainment industry accounting practices make WorldCom look transparent by comparison.
I wrote almost a year ago that musicians should take a leaf from the movie stars of the 20s and 30s and start their own record labels.
