I don't understand why one needs to "fight" the labels for stealing from them. That's like asking to go fight Safeway for you shoplifting a loaf of bread. Sure, it didn't cost Safeway *much*, but is Safeway really out of line for asking that you're prosecuted for theft?

I don't think so.

Well, it's a little bit like stealing from the thief, Dustin. The RIAA and its cohorts, the major labels, have stolen marketshare from the people, the indies, and musicians for years and years and years. Payola scandals, blatant and irrepressible monopolistic behavior, violent protection of their distribution channels, connections to organized crime...

The RIAA, the major labels, and to some extent BMI and ASCAP are not now the good guys, have never been the good guys, and will never be the good guys.

Those of us who do want to put our music out for free (really for our own marketing purposes, but hey, little guy's gotta start somewhere) are in the path of the big steamroller that is the RIAA. Whether the RIAA does it by screwing with the technology or by sueing bands and indies who own their material and who are giving it away, we will all be crushed in the end if the RIAA isn't stopped.

Because of the RIAA, the level of originality and quality in American pop music rises to Britney Spears and not much higher. It's sad that verite is not valued in the USofA.

I disagree. Let's say your band was called "XXX Disco". Tell me why I'd go to Kazaa and look for "XXX Disco"? I never would in a million years because I would have never heard of your band before.

Most people use P2P software to get the material that is popular and isn't supposed to be free. Without promotion, no one is going to know your band, and therefore isn't going to look it up on a P2P network.

There are tons of ways for your band to have free distribution. Kazaa and the rest aren't ways that want to do that for you, they want to (and are) profit(ing) off theft of copyrighted materials.

have any of you ever recorded movies off the tv or songs off the radio.
basically the same thing thats why the riaa didnt want vcr's. but did that hurt they industry? NO!

uhh, are you an idiot? The RIAA had nothing to do with the lobby against VCR's.

Besides, there's a distinct difference between getting a crappy analog copy of a show onto your VCR or cassette, and getting what could be a (theoretically) perfect digital copy of said same item that will never degrade. Why buy the DVD of a show that's available for free over the TV air?

Same theory there.

Who made you the expert on all this? The RIAA is not fighting over the QUALITY of the recording or material. They are fighting the CONTENT that is pirated. And yes, websites such as peer-to-peer sites may be abused in music piracy, but that should not mean they are illegal or cannot be used as a means to promote independent artists. Uhhh, have you ever heard of the "grapevine?" Too many assumptions in your arguments....