OBITUARIES - THE RIAA

The RIAA is dead. They just haven't realized it yet. I've been giving some serious thought as to why the RIAA has to be such a pain in everyone's collective hind ends. Every day, I hear of some new harebrained scheme they've come up with, from attempts to squash piracy, shut down P2P networks, force ISPs to turn over information on subscribers "engaged in significant copyright infringement", choke off internet radio with hefty royalties, spread propaganda on the "evils" of file sharing and CD-R media, the list goes on and on. While pondering why the RIAA feels they need to be so malicious towards the digital revolution, I recalled something from that Psychology 101 class I took a forever ago. Dr. Elizabeth Kubler-Ross wrote this book, "On Death and Dying", in which she defined the five stages of grief one faces when confronted with the knowledge of their own imminent death: denial, bargaining, anger, depression, and acceptance. Upon putting this principle into the context of the RIAA, it is quite apparent that they are in fact far into the throes of death. There was a time when musicians had to go through a major record company to make it big. Small time bands were doomed to failure without the label's promotional support and recording equipment. While this is still largely how the music industry operates today, there is a growing shadow looming on the horizon known as the digital revolution, which threatens the RIAA's traditional way of life. Thanks to the continually dropping prices of technology, for a relatively small investment a band can acquire their own equipment, record their own albums, burn their own CD's, and get some free publicity sharing their work on the internet. The RIAA for a long time was in denial. They scoffed at the idea that people would want their music in some digital format and not solely on a CD. The so-called digital revolution would surely die out, and the major record labels would remain dictators of the music industry. But the digital revolution didn't just go away. Instead it grew like wildfire to where it could no longer be ignored. The RIAA then took to bargaining. They made efforts to "coexist" with this revolution while maintaining complete dictatorial control, which really isn't coexisting at all, when you think about it. They began working with manufacturers to come up with ways to protect their media, but nothing seemed able to stop the determined pirates. The RIAA grew angry, and started lashing out. They started to fear this form of music distribution they did not have absolute control over. They dealt a crushing blow to Napster, who they long viewed as a thorn in their side, and now seek a similar fate for the slew of new P2P networks that arose in the wake of Napster's downfall. Visit the RIAA homepage to see what other detestable deeds they have committed, and view their plans for crushing the digital revolution moving forward. They proudly document all of it on their site, as to reassure themselves that they are in fact still alive and kicking. The demand for digital media is only intensifying though, and the RIAA needs to come to grips with this and find a way to truly coexist with it. Eventually some band or other will come up with a clever way to take advantage of this demand for digital media and make it big time without ever signing with a major label, resulting in a trend away from the RIAA with upcoming musicians nationwide, spelling the end of the RIAA, if they don't change their methods quickly. Take a look at the RIAA's own current mission statement:

"The Recording Industry Association of America is the trade group that represents the U.S. recording industry. Its mission is to foster a business and legal climate that supports and promotes our members' creative and financial vitality. Its members are the record companies that comprise the most vibrant national music industry in the world. RIAA(r) members create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 90% of all legitimate sound recordings produced and sold in the United States." Notice how there's no mention of the artists? How about the consumers? No mention of them either. That's because as the RIAA stands now, they're not a concern. Their only concern is their money. If their interests were anywhere else they would not be as unyielding and stubborn as they are. It's a commonly known fact that, in the entertainment industry, if you want to make the big bucks you have to give the people what they want. The people want digital media. The folks at the RIAA need to get that through their thick skulls. The RIAA need not die entirely, it only needs to die in its current form. Times are changing, and there is no place for an institution as inflexible as the RIAA stands now in our future.