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To Save the Music Industry, Ban Music—and Whistling

The copyright arguments aren't going to stop until the day music dies

By Rob Quinn,  Newser Staff

Posted Sep 18, 2009 9:38 AM CDT

(Newser) – The music industry wants royalties for the 30-second previews on iTunes—which is "bullshit," writes Nicholas DeLeon for TechGear. It's yet another foolish move in the battle to save the music industry, complains DeLeon. Luckily, he has a "foolproof" way to do just that: Ban music, "shut the whole damn industry down," send iPods to the bottom of the sea, and outlaw whistling.

A music-free society would be rid of  "the RIAA, its dunderhead henchmen and mollycoddled musicians," DeLeon writes, dreaming of a world without recording industry lawsuits. "There’s no piracy, there’s no sons-of-bitches illegally listening to unauthorized 30-second sound clips—think of the lost revenue!—and no reason to sue single mothers because their dumb kids downloaded three Britney Spears songs in 2001."

A bulldozer rolls over a pile of pirate CDs, DVDs and software in Lima, Peru.
A bulldozer rolls over a pile of pirate CDs, DVDs and software in Lima, Peru.   (AP Photo/Karel Navarro)
In DeLeon's vision of a music-free world, this is the only kind of burning of CDs that will be allowed.
In DeLeon's vision of a music-free world, this is the only kind of burning of CDs that will be allowed.   (Shutter Stock)
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All music radio stations will be scuttled, and we’ll mine the Sirius XM satellites for the useful metals they contain. Instrument stores will be transformed into Chuck E. Cheese’s or Discovery Zones.
- Nicholas DeLeon

Since both you guys can’t agree on whether or not you think it’s a good idea to sue a single mother for more money than she’ll ever see in her life let’s shut the whole damn industry down. - Nicholas DeLeon

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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 16 comments
tran_tor
Sep 18, 2009 5:56 AM CDT
Prince gave away his album Planet Earth in a British newspaper. He earned $500k over what he'd have made in royalties if he'd actually sold each CD in the papers. Additionally he reached a larger fan base, and sold out all his concerts (21) in Britain.
Guest
Sep 18, 2009 2:32 AM CDT
I think Trent Reznor has the right idea. Give you music away, make money off shows. Also most of the people that whine about people dont buy albums anymore, maybe come out with more then one or two good songs per album. Then people would probably buy the whole thing? I dunno that's just my opinion.
Stasis
Sep 18, 2009 2:13 AM CDT
I'm surprised that the RIAA didn't move to have the "Record" buttons removed from tape players and boomboxes during the 80's...god knows how much "pirated" music I illegally "downloaded" from radio stations...
 

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