OK let's give the record companies the benefit of the doubt. Let's say that there is an honest record company (c.f. Oxymoron) and everything is above board. Since most musicians get paid a royalty for every song that they sell then the consumer and the musicians are still being ripped off.

Let's assume that each band gets $5 per album sold. I've done a break down of prices from where I live like so:

• Metallica's St. Anger (cassette) $9.95
• Metallica's St. Anger (CD) $20.95
• Metallica's St. Anger (CD with DVD) $39.95
• Best of Corrs (Cassette) $9.99
• Best of Corrs (CD) $31.99

Now there is a HUGE difference in price there but if my assumption that the band gets a cut per song is correct then the band still gets $5 whether it is CD or cassette. So the band loses almost $20 in the case of the Corrs. Or am I wrong?

The way it looks to me is that CD prices are artificially inflated to generate as much profit for the record companies as possible. How else can you explain the more expensive (in terms of production) medium (cassette) being cheaper than the CDs. When you are a kid and you have $20 that it has taken you a month to earn it must be hard to have to chose the cassette because you can't afford a CD. As a kid I couldn't afford to buy records so I copied them, later, as an adult, I bought them on Vinyl and then on CD. So I repaid my debt twice. Apparently you can buy a license to redistribute music http://www.riaa.com/issues/licensing/howto.asp , I wonder how much it costs? Wait, only ONE record company gives an email address. Bummer. So the message is "but not on the net"

Speaking of the Corrs I found this( http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/new_media/1646811.stm ). So, apparently it WAS ok to steal money from musicians and copyright holders on public broadcasts IF you are a record company but don't try this at home.

I would like to buy "Fade to Grey" by Visage, and/or "How to dance" by Bingo Boys on CD single please. OK how about any X-Japan album except "Blue Blood" - so far I've been told it will cost $70 each. For that much money I want the bloody gold MASTER CD. If I copy them I am breaking the law but I CAN'T buy them legally in this country without having to sell off a major internal organ. I don't want second hand I want to PAY the musicians their royalty.

Remember the song "Who let the dogs out?" by the Baha Men? The record company deleted it just after it got in the charts. It went to Number 1. People were going into shops to buy it and nobody had it in stock and none could get it. I bet the Baha Men were THRILLED - if they knew.

The behavior of the record companies is bizarre and confusing. After the last few months I'm not sure that I SHOULD be buying CDs - the artists haven't been getting my money so why continue? Why do CDs get deleted so that you can't buy them? Why would the next generation of kids who have read these articles buy CDs? Because the RIAA will threaten to sue them? Do the artists get most of the money from the lawsuits? The artists paid for the production and it is their work and, since there was no actual CD stamped by the record company, the artist must get 95% of the settlement, right? Wrong the money goes to suing more costumers.

I apologize, I had a moment of wild unfounded optimism. Please forgive me.

So I am at a loss as to what I am supposed to do? Maybe it is legal to download pirated CDs from the net if the record company deletes them from their catalogue in your country? Maybe it is legal for me to buy a copy of St. Anger on cassette and then burn a copy of the CD? The artist still gets their money and I minimize the amount that I am giving to the record company to spend on suing old ladies and 12 year old kids. They must be on something to think that stupid ineffective copy protection schemes and suing every teenager on the planet will convince people that they should stop copying CDs.

"Something is definitely wrong here" ( http://www.midnightoil.com/news.html ) record companies know that they are fighting for survival. They are like injured felines in a tree and are lashing out at anyone who comes nearby. But what are they frightened of? Power. The real power here comes from an unlikely source. Musicians. The record companies know it. All it takes is a clever musician to set up a system that allows their fans to buy direct from them and bypass the record companies completely. If I could buy Visage's CD direct from their website they would get 100% of the money. Once musicians wake up to the madness that they are subjected to then the record industry will change overnight. And the record companies are terrified.

The injustice of the general public's breach of copyright and stealing of royalties seems to far outstep the injustice of the alleged practices of the record companies represented by the RIAA. And, it seems that the law is
supporting the RIAA's stance on this issue. The graffiti on the wall is now gone but somehow it is constantly on my mind when I think of the RIAA.