Re: MP3, Copyright, Napster - what do you think?

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Comments:
: : Sharing music is the latest craze since MP3. Do you feel that any sharing of music files is a violation of copyright laws? : : Does the Napster software infringe on artists, labels and publishers copyrights? : : The RIAA has accused Napster of not only facilitating, but encouraging the unlawful exchange of copyrighted music. Do you agree? : : Metallica & Dr. Dre have joined the RIAA in filling suits against Napster. Should independent artists be concerned with the popularity of music sharing sites? : I went to Napster and found many obscure recordings you cannot find in CD Shops, or they are very difficult to find. I downloaded some Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed songs, most of which I had bought on Vinyl, but no longer have the vinyl. But I got some Chet Atkins and Jerry Reed I had not purchased on Vinyl. : This getting some great music by Chet and Jerry Rekindled my interest in having CDs by the two great Guitarist. So I purchased two Chet Atkins CDs and a CD by Speedy West and Jimmie Bryant, the first commercial CDs I have bought in the last 7 years. Napster acted as a kind of Sampler Site. It sparked my interest in my favorite Guitar Players once more and so I purchased three CDs and am going to purchase the Jerry Reed CD "Pickin." And I may purchase some Les Paul CDs. : MP3 files are nice, but they are not the same as having a CD by your favorite Guitar Player. MP3 music does not have the Excellent Fidelity of the CD, it's close, but not quite there. And There is a kind of personal value in owning the CD with the Art Work, and it's something you can touch and see, it is real, not just a computer file. : I think Napster is the greatest CD salesman to come along since radio. If you will notice the largest selling CDs have songs on Napster. I would bet that many Metalica CDs have been sold because music lovers got Metalica downloads from Napster. : If the RIAA closes down Napster, it will be cutting the throat of the Music Writers, the Musical Artists who make CDs, and the Music Publishers. It will be cutting their throat financial wise for Napster is the Greatest recorded music salesman since radio started playing Recorded Music. : Napster is not a Data Base of every song that has been recorded. It is a kind of sample site where a person can find samples and if they like the music, really like it, they will buy the CD. If they don't like the music, they will not buy the CD. : Napster and MP3 COM are creating a great interest in Recorded music which Generates CD and Musical Instrument Sales. How nice it would be to have broadband and listen to the CDs I have purchased on the MyMp3 COM program. But I just have a 56K modem and so the listen from the internet is in lo fi not hi fi, and I can hardly stand lo fi internet listening. : I had not played my Guitar much in a few years when I first got the internet. Then I started recording my Guitar and emailing my Guitar songs to people. They liked the songs. This did a lot for me and made me play my Guitar more. Then I went on MP3 com and had some big time downloads of my songs and for the first time in my life I made money from the songs I wrote and recorded, quite a bit of money. And It is gratifying to know that your Guitar music is being listened to by people all over the world on MP3 Com. : Then I went to Napster and that sparked my interest in commercially recorded music by my favorite Guitar Players and so now I'm buying CDs, Buying too many CDs, I must get control of my desire to buy the CDs of the Great Guitar Players. : Napster is a CD Salesman, the best there is for those who surf the internet. If you play Guitar and go to Napster you are going to end up buying many CDs of the Guitar Players you download from Napster, if you are anywhere near normal. : I'll tell you one thing, If I had made it big in the Recording Music Business and someone put my recorded songs up for download on Napster I would be happy as I could be for I would know that my music is loved and the person who put my songs up wanted the world to hear my music. That is what really happens on Napster, people love the songs they put up for download and want the world to hear the great songs. To have someone put up a Song on Napster for download is a supreme compliment to a musician. It is also a way to get your songs heard and purchased when maybe people had forgotten that you exist, after your CD sales have gone down, your day in the Sun is gone. : While Santana's "Supernatural" CD was selling 3 million Copies, you could download every song from the CD from the Napster Web Site. So did people download the songs on the "Supernatural" CD from napster instead of purchasing the CD? A definite NO. If anything the Downloads from Napster caused the Santana Fans to go out and purchase the CD. How many CDs ever sell 3 million Copies, not Many. : A poll on the Billboard Web Site revealed that over 64 percent of those who voted on whether Metalica was right in Suing Napster said "NO" they were not right, that Metalica Suing Napster was the same as Metalica suing it's Fans who purchase the CDs made by Metalica. No doubt this suing Napster by Metalica is going to prevent many Metalica CD sales by Fans who are angry over the law suit. : Hey guess what, because of MP3 music, and it making me want to play my Guitar again, I have purchased a new Guitar, so MP3 benefited Musical instruments sales as well as the CD sales. And I purchased a new audio mixer, and a magnetic pickup for my Acoustic Guitar. : The short sited, UN-perceptive RIAA People, and the Music Artists who are against Napster and MP3 Com are trying to cut their own throats, financial wise. And if they should succeed in closing down Napster and the MyMP3 com portion of MP3 COM, they will have taken millions of dollars out of their own pockets in CD sales. : Musicians want to be heard, they love this almost as much as playing their Guitars. Napster and MP3 Com are getting musicians heard. Both are incredible promotional web sites for Musicians. I hope that the Judges that hear these cases are not as UN-perceptive as the RIAA and the Artists who are suing both Napster and MP3 COM for the Artists, the Music Publishers, and the Recording Companies, and the Music Lovers of the world will come out the loser if these web sites are closed down. : : Robert Lee Johnson : The Guitar Man