Round 3: Scientologists vs the RIAA

[spoonitnow]

Which is worst: Scientologists, or the RIAA?

If you don't know what the RIAA is then Google it. They're the fuckers who do shit like this: "On December 21, 2006, the RIAA filed a lawsuit against Russian owned and operated website AllOfMP3.com in the amount of $1.65 trillion ($1,650,000,000,000). This number was derived from multiplying 11 million songs with statutory damages of $150,000 per song.," and "In the case RIAA vs Joel Tenenbaum, the jury awarded $22,500 per song resulting in a judgment of $675,000 for the shared 30 tracks and in the case RIAA vs Jammie Thomas-Rasset, the jury awarded $80,000 per song, or $1.92 million for 24 tracks." Apparently none of the money goes to the artists either, typically.

[dthorne04]

lol, you weren't kidding about this one being good.

[a500lbgorilla]

Wow, I just had a chat with my brother about the RIAA stuff. And I think this is a brilliant poll. Im gonna sit down and really think about it when i get back from the gym.

[BennyLaRue]

The RIAA sez the best selling album of all-time is The Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975. I hate the fuckin Eagles.

EZ.

[Stacks]

The RIAA sez the best selling album of all-time is The Eagles: Their Greatest Hits 1971-1975. I hate the fuckin Eagles.

EZ.

Oops... I accidentally this album. I love the eagles.

[Ragnar4]

The Riaa doesn't get anything, the person that gets drug through the cleaners just files for Bankruptcy afterwards.

In Scientology, after you've given all your money, you tend to die.

Scientology>RIAA.

[kevster]

Spoon for Prez

[a500lbgorilla]

The RIAA's strategy is based on how close this apparently billion dollar industry is to collapse. My brother who wrote a paper on this said the company was once thinking it was days away from collapse. Even though they're just trying to survive by grabbing at money by any means necessary, they still have in some way brought music to the people.

I think there are a lot of ways that the two are comparable. More similarities than differences, surprisingly. But at the end of the day, the RIAA does almost unthinkable things to people to help support its main goal of selling music. And that's a marked improvement over similar costs for brining people religion. The RIAA's dirty laundry is a bit more public, and I think they're better for it.

Scientologists are worse. I can't imagine what you'd do for round 4!

[spoonitnow]

iopq v sirpawnalot, loser has to leave FTR forever ldo

[kevster]

Thanks to Tim Berners-Lee music is available all over the web in many different forms, free, at a price, legal and illegal. The people that try and play sheriff are as bad as the assholes that used to say "home taping is killing music" - referring to the 1980's trend of copying music onto tape and sharing it with friends.

Music availability in the modern day is down to how much the artist wants to be an artist and share their music. Everyone else involved are just wankers.

But then Scientologists - OMG.

This is the toughest vote yet.

[kevster]

I'm still undecided.

[bigred]

riaa, ezgame

[wufwugy]

RIAA

Under our current socioeconomic paradigm, anything that perpetuates special interests' power and income inequality is worse than Scientology. Also, scapegoating. RIAA does it, Scientology not so much

[kevster]

What power do the RIAA have exactly and what are the limits of those powers. What I mean is, I presume that they operate within the limit of some law or other. And Scientologists.....?

[boost]

What power do the RIAA have exactly and what are the limits of those powers. What I mean is, I presume that they operate within the limit of some law or other. And Scientologists.....?

well it has no governing or judiciary power, it is simple an association that represents the recording industry. What that means though is that a multi billion dollar industry is footing the bill for a team of lawyers.


And Im really not sure what my decision is here. If we were able to insta irradicate one or the other today Im pretty sure Id pick scientology due to the possible negative things it could accomplish in the near, not so near, and distant future. But if we are voting on which groups present day actions are more vile.. idk, I think I pick the RIAA.

You know whats funny.. most recording artists actually make very little off their album sales, but instead make big money from going on tour. But by having a record label behind them they get the benefit of having marketing campaigns and getting on MTV and whatnot. So it would seem that there actually would be a perfectly viable business model in which the record companies no longer existed. Music could be given away for free and the artists could make plenty of money on tour. I mean I could be wrong, but the recording industry just seems like an overgrown parasitic middle man.

[wufwugy]

This is just another of the numerous examples of how far in favor of wealthy/corporate interests our economies are.

[givememyleg]

RIAA and not even close.

[Jack Sawyer]

Holy shit what an easy poll.

Scientologists are dumb, the RIAA is evil and manipulative and corrupt(ing). Its not nearly close.

[d0zer]

You know whats funny.. most recording artists actually make very little off their album sales, but instead make big money from going on tour. But by having a record label behind them they get the benefit of having marketing campaigns and getting on MTV and whatnot. So it would seem that there actually would be a perfectly viable business model in which the record companies no longer existed. Music could be given away for free and the artists could make plenty of money on tour. I mean I could be wrong, but the recording industry just seems like an overgrown parasitic middle man.

The idea of cutting out labels is far less feasible historically where half decent recording gear was cost-prohibitive for most artists. Recording an album is expensive, and it's the label that foots the bill.

Even so, despite cheaper gear sounds decent today, it still doesn't compare to good gear, not to mention the cost of paying producers and sound engineers usually produces a much better product than DIY musicians who usually aren't experts in these areas.

So I'm not sure we've quite seen the death of the label yet. Producing a quality album is expensive for most small 'startup' bands.

That being said I've seen artists who have done it successfully on their own with a decent home studio and some expertise in recording and production, but they suffer from the lack of marketing that's apparently required to go as massive as labels take you.

I'd love to see the death of the label but I'm not sure we have quite yet...