Sorry, I don't have the stats or links, and can't be bothered finding them. I just want to know what you folks think of the proposed laws to tax blank media including tapes, CD's DVD's etc?
I personally think this is VERY stupid. Also, I would be loosing a lot of money on this. To my understanding, the whole idea is that people are using this media to pirate music and software, so start charging a tax on it to compensate for the artists/developers. My first question is how is the money going to be distributed to the artists and developers? My second questions is why should the innocent be hit as well as the guilty? I don't pirate music. Anything I download is beause I can't find a recording elsewhere. I often burn a couple hundred CD's in a week. I do recording contracts for small bands that can't afford to do a professional recording. I'll usually charge them $50 or so to take a cassette, and record it onto my computer as wav files to make the master CD. Then I make the CD's as they are needed, in batches of 10 or 20. Now the lobbying of RIAA and whoever else is involved in this whole anti-piracy BS wants to increase my costs because people are pirating music? This whole buisness with the RIAA seems we will soon be guilty until proven innocent. What's next? do they intend to start charging EVERYONE for every song because we MIGHT hear it somewhere? If they RIAA is going to fight a crusade for the poor artists, I'd like to see them start paying more to the artists and spending a little less time lining their own pockets.
Another problem I have is with transmitting data. When I do a project for a customer, I'll often burn it onto a CD, even if it's only a few megs. Some of my clien't don't have high speed connections, so they don't want to wait for a download, and 3.5" are too annoying for anything over 1.4 MBs And what about my software archives? I have stacks of CDs sorting out the projects I've worked on, freeware/shareware that I've downloaded and often registered. Often when I go to a clients for tech support, I'll download the software I need off my cable connection and burn it to a CD because it'll take too long when I'm on the job site. Employers don't mind a $30 administrative fee, but they hate to pay you when you sit there for 20 minutes waiting for a program to download, then another 5 minutes while it installs.
Another personal favorite is with computer shops. I will never take an orriginal CD into a shop. let's see I have a MS windows 2k and office 2k... Do I want to risk a technician loosing the originals? I think not. Do I want to risk having it scratched beyond recognition? Nope...
So what do you folks have to say about RIAA, media tax, and such software/music piracy BS?
I personally think this is VERY stupid. Also, I would be loosing a lot of money on this. To my understanding, the whole idea is that people are using this media to pirate music and software, so start charging a tax on it to compensate for the artists/developers. My first question is how is the money going to be distributed to the artists and developers? My second questions is why should the innocent be hit as well as the guilty? I don't pirate music. Anything I download is beause I can't find a recording elsewhere. I often burn a couple hundred CD's in a week. I do recording contracts for small bands that can't afford to do a professional recording. I'll usually charge them $50 or so to take a cassette, and record it onto my computer as wav files to make the master CD. Then I make the CD's as they are needed, in batches of 10 or 20. Now the lobbying of RIAA and whoever else is involved in this whole anti-piracy BS wants to increase my costs because people are pirating music? This whole buisness with the RIAA seems we will soon be guilty until proven innocent. What's next? do they intend to start charging EVERYONE for every song because we MIGHT hear it somewhere? If they RIAA is going to fight a crusade for the poor artists, I'd like to see them start paying more to the artists and spending a little less time lining their own pockets.
Another problem I have is with transmitting data. When I do a project for a customer, I'll often burn it onto a CD, even if it's only a few megs. Some of my clien't don't have high speed connections, so they don't want to wait for a download, and 3.5" are too annoying for anything over 1.4 MBs And what about my software archives? I have stacks of CDs sorting out the projects I've worked on, freeware/shareware that I've downloaded and often registered. Often when I go to a clients for tech support, I'll download the software I need off my cable connection and burn it to a CD because it'll take too long when I'm on the job site. Employers don't mind a $30 administrative fee, but they hate to pay you when you sit there for 20 minutes waiting for a program to download, then another 5 minutes while it installs.
Another personal favorite is with computer shops. I will never take an orriginal CD into a shop. let's see I have a MS windows 2k and office 2k... Do I want to risk a technician loosing the originals? I think not. Do I want to risk having it scratched beyond recognition? Nope...
So what do you folks have to say about RIAA, media tax, and such software/music piracy BS?
![[bravo]](/data/assets/smilies/bravo.gif "[bravo] [bravo]")
Mark