Poll on the record companies and mp3s

[Ganath]

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>A quick 5 question poll here. Like a questionare, way back when we had the Q'aries forum.

It's for a good cause people... mainly my grade. So help a guy out here! :)

Firstly, you're gonna need to state your age, and then on with the questions.

1. Do you think mp3s are actually illegal?
2. Should the record companies be brought to court based upon their business practices?
3. Do mp3s significantly cut into the profits of the artists themselves?
4. Rather than battle mp3s and the various file sharing utilities, should the record companies just throw in the towel and adapt to the new digital format?
5. Would you say that the issue of mp3s is quite similar to the debate some decades earlier about the legality of recording shows via VCR?

Thanks a lot people.</div>

[Garford]

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; padding: 0% 0% 0% 8%; '>

Firstly, you're gonna need to state your age, and then on with the questions.

19

1. Do you think mp3s are actually illegal?

No

2. Should the record companies be brought to court based upon their business practices?

No

3. Do mp3s significantly cut into the profits of the artists themselves?

Yes, the situation in Asia is quite bad.....

4. Rather than battle mp3s and the various file sharing utilities, should the record companies just throw in the towel and adapt to the new digital format?

Yes

5. Would you say that the issue of mp3s is quite similar to the debate some decades earlier about the legality of recording shows via VCR?

Yes</div>

[Caddy Punk]

<div style='font: 9pt Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; text-align: left; '>If anything drove me out of high school, it must have been all the shitty surveys ;)</div>

[Caddy Punk]

<div style='font: 9pt Arial, Tahoma, Verdana; text-align: left; '>1. Do you think mp3s are actually illegal?

When they're online w/o the artists permission, sure.

2. Should the record companies be brought to court based upon their business practices?

Don't care.

3. Do mp3s significantly cut into the profits of the artists themselves?

Hell no.

4. Rather than battle mp3s and the various file sharing utilities, should the record companies just throw in the towel and adapt to the new digital format?

Yes, all the cool people are doing it.

5. Would you say that the issue of mp3s is quite similar to the debate some decades earlier about the legality of recording shows via VCR?

Yup.</div>

[New and Improved Zeus]

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>I'm 25....

1. Do you think mp3s are actually illegal?
- there's no "think" to this one. MP3's (the format) are NOT illegal in any way

2. Should the record companies be brought to court based upon their business practices?
- fuck yeah. They're the perfect definition of "monopolistic practics", which, last time I checked, was illegal

3. Do mp3s significantly cut into the profits of the artists themselves?
- nope

4. Rather than battle mp3s and the various file sharing utilities, should the record companies just throw in the towel and adapt to the
new digital format?
- nope. From a business point of view, they have to keep fighting the battle, not to win, but to contain it. Otherwise, they lose everything

5. Would you say that the issue of mp3s is quite similar to the debate some decades earlier about the legality of recording shows via
VCR?
- yes, exactly like it. How is it not?</div>

[New and Improved Zeus]

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>Didn't know the situation in Asia. Ganath, my answer to #3 regards only North America</div>

[Blotus]

<div style='font: 10pt "arial narrow"; text-align: left; padding: 0% 5% 0% 5%; '>

A quick 5 question poll here. Like a questionare, way back when we had the Q'aries forum.

It's for a good cause people... mainly my grade. So help a guy out here! :)

Firstly, you're gonna need to state your age, and then on with the questions.

22

1. Do you think mp3s are actually illegal?

Probably, but who cares anymore?

2. Should the record companies be brought to court based upon their business practices?

No.

3. Do mp3s significantly cut into the profits of the artists themselves?

Probably... but for a band that's already making millions, like Metallica, I don't see why they should complain that much.

4. Rather than battle mp3s and the various file sharing utilities, should the record companies just throw in the towel and adapt to the new digital format?

I hope not, 'cause then we'd have to start paying for the shit.

5. Would you say that the issue of mp3s is quite similar to the debate some decades earlier about the legality of recording shows via VCR?

Sure.

Thanks a lot people.

You're dead.</div>

[Imakeholesinu]

<div style='font: 10pt Arial; text-align: left; '>

1. Do you think mp3s are actually illegal?

No.

2. Should the record companies be brought to court based upon their business practices?

If they give more liberties to the artists then no.

3. Do mp3s significantly cut into the profits of the artists themselves?

No.

4. Rather than battle mp3s and the various file sharing utilities, should the record companies just throw in the towel and adapt to the new digital format?

No.

5. Would you say that the issue of mp3s is quite similar to the debate some decades earlier about the legality of recording shows via VCR?

No.</div>

[S.Cody2]

<div style='font: 10pt "Times New Roman"; text-align: left; '>

Firstly, you're gonna need to state your age, and then on with the questions.

17

1. Do you think mp3s are actually illegal?

By the very definition of law, yes.

2. Should the record companies be brought to court based upon their business practices?

Perhaps. There're definitely needs for third party examinations of buisness practices. The record biz is one of the most deceitful around.

3. Do mp3s significantly cut into the profits of the artists themselves?

Already big artists that are practically industries unto themselves? No. Small, newer bands trying to gain recognition (this can be assisted by MP3s, but only to an early break point in a career) and fans? Yes. They need purchases to climb the ladder.

4. Rather than battle mp3s and the various file sharing utilities, should the record companies just throw in the towel and adapt to the new digital format?

Yes. What they're attempting to do is more futile than an all-out war on drugs in which the persecutors expect to be able to take no prisoners.

5. Would you say that the issue of mp3s is quite similar to the debate some decades earlier about the legality of recording shows via VCR?

No, because music is much more accessible in general. If you miss a new episode of your favorite television series, you're going to have a lot harder time catching it again than hearing a song you missed once on the radio.

Thanks a lot people.

If it helps, sure.</div>

[Shellie]

<div style='font: bold 10pt arial; text-align: left; '>

A quick 5 question poll here. Like a questionare, way back when we had the Q'aries forum.

It's for a good cause people... mainly my grade. So help a guy out here! :)

Firstly, you're gonna need to state your age, and then on with the questions.

1. Do you think mp3s are actually illegal?

the file format is not illegal, it depends if its copyrighted material or not.

2. Should the record companies be brought to court based upon their business practices?

no, but they need to sit down and shut the hell up...we're spreading word about artists and their music with mp3s!

3. Do mp3s significantly cut into the profits of the artists themselves?

doubtful, more than likey it improves the profits to artists.....spreading info on artists, more people go to their concerts..posters..etc

4. Rather than battle mp3s and the various file sharing utilities, should the record companies just throw in the towel and adapt to the new digital format?

yes, definately!!

5. Would you say that the issue of mp3s is quite similar to the debate some decades earlier about the legality of recording shows via VCR?

exact.

Thanks a lot people.

</div>

[SineSwiper]

<div style='font: 11pt "EngraversGothic BT", "Copperplate Gothic Light"; text-align: left; '>

Firstly, you're gonna need to state your age, and then on with the questions.

23.

1. Do you think mp3s are actually illegal?

No. It's just a sound format. The whole Napster thing was bullshit because while people were trading illegal songs, the format itself was just that: a format. The RIAA tried to sued MP3.com and lost, because MP3s are merely a sound format and can be (and are being) used for legal purposes.

2. Should the record companies be brought to court based upon their business practices?

Yes. Very much so. They've raped their musicians long enough. Only after that they either sell their souls or break off and form their own label do they have the freedom to put out the songs that they want to put out, and at the same time, make money on their own terms.

3. Do mp3s significantly cut into the profits of the artists themselves?

Yes and no. For bands that suck, yes. Bands can't get away with gimmicks (or a past history of good albums) when the content sucks. Then again, the popularity of the format is based off of the popularity of the genre, so most artists aren't musicians to make money (that's only a side effect). They want to make music.

For the rest, especially the unknowns that don't make MTV or the radiowaves, MP3s and programs like Morpheus is their salvation. People hear of a group, download some MP3s, and realize it's really good. Not everybody will buy a album just based on a friend recommendation, but they will buy based off of random songs on the Internet.

Record companies have been scared of copyright violations killing their money maker for years. The same scare happened with tapes, but they were unfounded, as usual. No, the only thing that significantly cut into the profits of the artists is the record companies themselves.

(Isn't it odd that some of the record companies actually have other sister companies that produce CD-R drives and blank media? Something to thing about...)

4. Rather than battle mp3s and the various file sharing utilities, should the record companies just throw in the towel and adapt to the new digital format?

I think the record companies should face the fact that the public has them by the balls, and all of the music will have free outlets if they want it. I believe this whole system will either lead to record companies giving away free versions of their songs for public consumption, like how Gorilla's web site has a jukebox with ALL of their single (including B-sides), or the artists will cut out the middle man, the recording companies, and their empire will fall.

5. Would you say that the issue of mp3s is quite similar to the debate some decades earlier about the legality of recording shows via VCR?

Somewhat, except on a more global scale. However, people with VCRs got away with the "fair use" clause in copyright laws. People with MP3s won't. They are technically breaking the law, but there's really nothing anybody can do about it anyway. It's the same with video games and other software. Nobody's "buying" Window XP. There just getting the corporate version. (An OS should never cost anything anyway.) The poor public pirates the stuff, and the rich (and corporations) buy it.</div>

[Gentz]

<div style='font: 11pt arial; text-align: left; '><i>1. Do you think mp3s are actually illegal?</i>

Not at all.

<i>2. Should the record companies be brought to court based upon their business practices?</i>

Yes, they should.

<i>3. Do mp3s significantly cut into the profits of the artists themselves?</i>

Not any of the really big artists. I guess the argument is for the up-coming artists. I think it's still silly though.

<i>4. Rather than battle mp3s and the various file sharing utilities, should the record companies just throw in the towel and adapt to the new digital format?</i>

No, I think the execs should all be put down like lame horses.

<i>5. Would you say that the issue of mp3s is quite similar to the debate some decades earlier about the legality of recording shows via VCR?</i>

Yes, and just as ridiculous.</div>

[Tessian]

<div style='font: 11pt Dominion; text-align: left; '>1. Do you think mp3s are actually illegal?
Nope.. not at all

2. Should the record companies be brought to court based upon their business practices?
probably.. but I wouldn't go as far as to actually think they ever will be; was MacCarthy ever brought up for his trials? No.

3. Do mp3s significantly cut into the profits of the artists themselves?
LoL, not at all.. in fact, I believe they help them more than hurt; especially the smaller groups

4. Rather than battle mp3s and the various file sharing utilities, should the record companies just throw in the towel and adapt to the new digital format?
They have no other logical choice.. they shoulda done this from the start; coulda made money too. Fighting it is futile and is only making them look like the draconic assholes they are.

5. Would you say that the issue of mp3s is quite similar to the debate some decades earlier about the legality of recording shows via VCR?
I don't know much about that debate... but probably</div>

[Gone to Shakers]

<div style='font: 12pt ; text-align: left; '>1. Do you think mp3s are actually illegal?

I don't think so, why?

2. Should the record companies be brought to court based upon their business practices?

No, because we live in a Democratic Capitalist society,

3. Do mp3s significantly cut into the profits of the artists themselves?

I'd say so, when I was younger, people used to have HUGE collections of CD's, I'm talking hundreds. Now, you go someplace, they have, what, 8 or 9 legit albums, and about 100 burned mixes.

4. Rather than battle mp3s and the various file sharing utilities, should the record companies just throw in the towel and adapt to the new digital format?

No, there's still a market, and the quality of mp3's isn't as good most of the time.

5. Would you say that the issue of mp3s is quite similar to the debate some decades earlier about the legality of recording shows via VCR?

Obviously, it's about recording, but look, now they have DVD's which are much much harder to illegally copy.</div>

[S.Cody2]

<div style='font: 10pt "Times New Roman"; text-align: left; '>Congratulations on using the most pointless, out of context Tool quote EVER.</div>

[Tessian]

<div style='font: 11pt Dominion; text-align: left; '>lol, thank you :) That's what I was going for</div>

[S.Cody2]

<div style='font: 10pt "Times New Roman"; text-align: left; '>One hell of an album, in any case.</div>

[Slappy White]

<div style='font: 9pt ; text-align: left; '>One of the top 5 of the 90's for me....</div>