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Time：第 69 次例會，2006年8月19日（週六）下午2:30~5:00
Place： viewtopic.php?t=15
14:30~15:30 gossiping and chatting
15:30~15:45 Ice Breaker session
15:45~16:00 intermission
16:00~17:00 topic discussion
Host : Benjamin Yeh
Assistant Host: Iris Chen
Topic：Piracy in the Music Industry
(Source: San Min English text book (6) for senior high, Unit 7)
Sound recording piracy─ the unauthorized duplication of the sounds of legitimate recordings─ has adversely affected the recording industry since its earliest days. The first signs of concern in the recording industry came in the 1960s with the development of sound recording technology. This opened the door to pirating, but because pirating ordinary tapes was difficult and the resulting sound quality was often poor, the threat to the music industry was not great. The advent of digital technology in the 1980s, however, sparked a spiraling rate of piracy. And more recently with the accessibility of music files over the Internet, piracy in the digital era has hit the music industry where it hurts.
CD piracy has become a business. With the advent of digital technology, duplicating legitimate recordings has become simpler and the sound quality next to perfect. And not only are pirated recordings of CDs showing up on the streets but music can now be downloaded on the Internet by using the MP3 format. This audio format allows individuals to compress audio CDs into small files that can be distributed, Just click, download, and listen. All that is needed is a modem, a phone line, and a computer. There are no additional costs other than the phone bill.
Unlike a record company, a pirate bears none of the initial cost of searching for talent, creating, producing, marketing and publicizing a recording, which can add up to millions of dollars. Nor does a pirate pay union fees, artists, back-up vocalists, royalties or taxes. Beyond the cost of purchasing a single commercial copy for use as a master, the pirate incurs only a per-unit manufacturing cost of well under a dollar. Breaking copyright laws is seen not so much an illegal act as a way to lower costs for the consumer and create profitable opportunities for the network of music pirates.
And while enthusiasts of MP3 claim they are not actually stealing intellectual property held by the music industry, those in the industry argue it is a clear case of breaking copyright laws and a lack of respect for the industry’s legislative regulations as well as the recording artists. Frank Creighton, vice president of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) says, “Downloading an MP3 file is no different from walking into a record store, putting a CD in your pocket, and walking out without paying.” As a result, the industry has taken several steps to gain control of the situation.
In their attempts, the industry has campaigned to shut down those Internet sites that illegally distribute copyrighted music. The big record labels, record producers and distributors in many countries have taken action against sites for the infringement of laws. They not only have sent threatening immediate closure of their sites, but in some cases, have taken MP3 pirates to court.
Creighton supports such action by claiming that “Internet pirates are making available-illegally-a huge range of music from top international acts to national chart-topping artists singing in their local languages.” He estimates there are over 1 million illegal music files posted on the Internet that infringe copyright laws and need to be shut down immediately.
Enthusiasts of MP3 technology, on the other hand, say they are not stealing intellectual property and claim there is nothing really illegal about using the technology to download a couple of songs for free. They deny the allegation that MP3 is illegal. They argue that it is simply an audio compression file format and is not illegal of legal in itself; it depends on how it is implemented. Fans of MP3 listeners, software programs, and hardware devices than any other CD-quality audio format in the world, and the technology are only going to expand this area.
While the record labels say they are losing billions to MP3 piracy, supporters of MP3 charge the music industry with over-inflating the price of retail CDs. (They cost roughly a dollar to make, but retail for $10 and up.) They say MP3 technology exposed people to more music who then buy CDs from bands they would never have heard otherwise. In fact, they say artists and labels can make money by employing MP3 technology because they have a world audience on the Internet at little or no cost. While most MP3 users may be right in saying that MP3 is not illegal in itself, they do need to recognize copyright laws. The forces on each side are determined to fight for what they believe are their rights. Only time will tell which side wins.
Questions:
1. Have you ever bought or downloaded any unauthorized album? Why or why not?!
2. Not only music, but novels, movies, software are pirated, too. Do you download or buy these piratical files as well? If so, which product you use the most? Why?
3. If the authorized products become cheaper, would you buy them? How much is the reasonable price you can accept?
4. For stay away from pirating, some music stations allow their users listen to the music only online instead of downloading it. It’s legal but how would you think of this idea?
5. Is it good or bad if all the piracy were gone? All the sounds is legitimately recorded and distributed. Please imagine and share your thoughts.
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台北，每週六 (2005年6月起)
Taipei, Saturday, Weekly
from June, 2005
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高雄，每月最後一個週日 (2007年4月起)
Kaohsiung, Final Sunday, Monthly
from April, 2007
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