The remaining original Kiss band members, Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, discussed with USA Today their first new album in a decade. The album Sonic Boom, released yesterday exclusively at WalMart, is a three-disc set with a CD of re-recorded hits, a live DVD of a Buenos Aires concert, and 11 new songs. It’s only $12, “the price of a sandwich,” says Simmons.
The pair also talked about the current state of the music biz and piracy. “Anybody who says, ‘I’m only in it for the music’ will find himself washing cars and wondering where the money went,” said Paul Stanley. “Gene and I believe in working hard and making no apologies for what we get for the hard work.”
Touring and merchandise are necessary for the band to offset losses from music piracy. “You grab an album and leave a store, they put you in handcuffs,” said Stanley. “And yet someone on the Internet can decide whether or not I get paid. File-sharing, that’s like me stealing your car and telling you I’m sharing your transportation.”
Illicit downloading is one reason the band had resisted recording new material for a decade. Says a sneering Simmons: “These freckle-faced college kids have destroyed an entire industry by stealing. I don’t believe in socialism and, the last time I checked, what we do isn’t charity.”
We reap what we sow. If we continue to demand that our music, movies and software be free, and steal anything that is not free, eventually all that will remain is free crap and corporate-sponsored product. Is this really what we want?
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October 7th, 2009 at 2:03 pm
Draconian laws made to prevent the copy of certain kind information do more harm than good. Restricting information reproduction, wharever kind this is, is a direct attack against people’s freedoms. The music, video and software models should addapt to a changing wold, where information copying is a common practice. Freedom (as long it’s not harmful to people) is in the long run more important.
October 7th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Stealing music, video and software is indeed harmful to people. People require special talent and hard work to produce this media. If you take it without paying, you are hurting them. And as we continue to steal and therefore devalue this work, eventually this behavior harms all of us.
October 7th, 2009 at 2:47 pm
Chila, take whatever you do for work — wait tables, dig ditches, make music, sell stocks — and now imagine if your employer or customers decided not to pay because their “freedom in the long run is more important” than paying you. Is that all right? Does this behavior harm you?
If you, Chila, are willing to work for free for the rest of your life, then you have me convinced, pirate away! But my guess is you are willing to steal from others so long as it doesn’t hurt you.
October 7th, 2009 at 3:22 pm
The problem in my mind isn’t that people are stealing the music, the problem is that the Industry is a whole is putting too much time into preventing people from stealing their stuff, with DRM’s and all the other copy protections, and not enough time into producing quality products.
I would have no problem Buying a CD from the store if it more than 1 of the 12 tracks was actually good and I could easily transfer the music to my MP3 Player. Fact is, CD’s these days cost just as much as they always have and have less songs, and even fewer good songs.
Similarly, I would have no problem purchasing songs from Online Stores like iTunes if I could easily transfer it to my MP3 Player, or listen to in an app of my Choosing.
If you wanted to watch a DVD, but it could only be played in a JVC Player, and you had a Sony player, would you go out and buy a new JVC player for that one song, or would u just take the pirated copy that could be played on anything you liked?
Plain and Simple, the biggest threat to the Music Industry, is the Music Industry. If they would get with the times and evolve like the rest of the world people would be much more willing to actually pay for the Crap they call music.
October 7th, 2009 at 3:42 pm
The fact that something is not simple does not mean that you can get it for free and say that the industry does not keep up with the changes. The only fair option here is for you to stop buying AND using DVD and music. Otherwise the people involved in the production of the content have a right to complain. The rule is simple; if you do not like the product under the current rules, do not use it.
This is the same as saying: I like driving a new car every month but I do not like the rules of car dealers so I will just drive cars for free.
October 7th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by ComputerGeeker and SoftwareGeeker. SoftwareGeeker said: Kiss Talks About Music Piracy http://bit.ly/4oQy9L [...]
October 8th, 2009 at 10:23 am
Good for Kiss…
I’m a fan now! Glad to see someone in the music biz has the balls
to tell the truth… Stealing is wrong and it always hurts someone.
I will buy their album.
October 8th, 2009 at 3:25 pm
L2Evolve, Everyday new technologies are being created that make it easier for the consumer to buy, listen, and use music in the ways he would like to. Please read up on the new technologies and what the music industry and others are doing to make it easier for consumers to enjoy the music and movies they love before you make an argument that is somewhat outdated. Yawn.
Also, since you think that music is “crap” anyway, then it probably doesn’t occur to you that real people get paid for real hard-earned talent. Who is going to make good music when it’s all free and everyone is working two jobs just to support their music career? I don’t know about you, but I have a hard time creating good, quality work when I get home from a long day at my day job.
Songwriter, over 9,000 other artists are also standing up for their creative works by urging the Obama Administration to pursue policies that are supportive of the rights of artists. Go to http://www.copyrightalliance.org/letter to check it out and sign the letter.
October 8th, 2009 at 4:29 pm
Music piracy has taken a music industry that used to only have room for Limp Bizkit and Britney Spears and democratized it enormously. There are so many great bands making a living nowadays and it’s a direct result of online music sharing.
KISS is a shitty band. They are unhappy having to compete with real musicians on a playing field where millions of dollars in marketing and cheap gimmickry don’t give them an edge.
Now, honestly, I pay for all of my music because that’s the kind of person I am. But I would never blame the “freckle faced teenagers” for the problem of an industry that has been gouging people for decades and forcing the deterioration of the quality of profitable music. Screw them and screw KISS. KISS isn’t all about the music: their music sucks. I wouldn’t waste hard drive space on their crap even if it were free.
October 8th, 2009 at 5:00 pm
Thank you, Moof, for saying in a much more polite way what I was thinking.
These very same people who think it’s OK to steal our music just because they can would have me thrown in jail in a heartbeat if I stole their hard work just because I could.
It took me a great many years and a lot of hard work and practice to do what I do. It takes me a lot of hard work to continue to do what I do. I will not have that belittled by some idiot on the Internet who has no concept what he’s talking about or how deeply his actions hurt other people.
Chila, you are either a troll or an idiot. I would prefer to believe your comment was meant as the former, but there are far too many people too ignorant to understand why.
October 8th, 2009 at 5:05 pm
“Anonymous,” please explain to me how taking money out of the hands of developing artists has improved music?
I, for example, do not have a major label record deal. I had to finance and market my album myself. I sold five copies, but found it all over the Internet for free download. That would be why I haven’t released another album.
So please explain to me how the music world is better now that I cannot afford to put out another album, but Kenny Chesney (backed by corporate sponsors) continues to put them out regardless of whether or not people buy them?
The FACT is, music piracy has left us in a market where only those with big corporate sponsors are able to put out music. Which means that all those people who think they’re “sticking it to the man” have IN FACT put the man in charge of everything they hear on the radio.
October 8th, 2009 at 6:53 pm
Back in May I sent an Open Letter out (a copy of which may be seen on my website http://www.leighharrison.com on the “Upcoming CD” page) in which I said it was time to stand up to the thieves and pirates. Now, several months later, I have had so much positive response from people all over the world, have seen people as disparate as Lily Allen and Kiss agreeing with this movement, and the President has actually appointed someone to oversee IP and copyright protection. Ultimately, we who are artists and creators will prevail. If you haven’t already signed the petition prepared by the Copyright Alliance which Lucinda mentioned (thanks Lucinda!), do so immediately! Songwriter & NashSongwriter, thank you, too, for adding to the dialogue!)
October 8th, 2009 at 10:29 pm
I’ve played music professionally, for most of my life. Haven’t gotten rich doing it, but I’ve been internationally published, earned a couple of film festival awards, etc. I’ve yet to talk to a single working musician who approves of music piracy. Not one. (The handful of bands who’ve dumped their record companies after the label’s promo machinery made them rich are the exception, not the rule.) I’m no fan of Kiss, but they got this right. If you steal music from up and coming artists, you end up with a sea of mediocrity and corporate pablum. And Nash (above) nailed it exactly. Stealing from artists only empowers “the man.”
Larry Lessig, advocate of the “remix” culture is all for file sharing. But the copyright notice on his book of the same name will curl your hair. It’s as if he’s saying, “Let’s all share, but don’t touch MY stuff!!!”
October 9th, 2009 at 4:20 pm
The truth behind all the excuses that people have for illegal file-sharing is quite simple: The people who steal someone else’s intellectual property (=music) would just as well steal the rest of your property, your car, your money, your plasma-tv… if they knew they would just as easily get away with it and there were no consequences whatsoever for THEM. End of story.
October 10th, 2009 at 12:58 am
As a DJ, Remixer & Musician and owner of a small independent record label myself, I totally understand the view of many artists. I wouldn’t like anyone to illegally download my music either. It’s a loss of revenue and makes it especially difficult for us independent artists to make a living. Something should be done about it.
On the other hand, I feel like many artists vent their frustration in the wrong direction. Many artists complain about people illegally downloading their music but they fail to direct their frustration to where it really belongs…the record labels.
I don’t see any artists complaining about how their record labels make tons of money while they only make between 40-60 cents per CD sold and even less for digital downloads. The bogus fees and royalty reductions due to things like “CD Development”, “Free Goods”, “Reserves”, “Returns” etc. that record labels charge and collect from their artists before the artists see any money from their sales. For example, a typical royalty for every CD sold that retails for $14.98 (which is a typical retail price), the typical artist will see only 55 cents in royalties. Keep in mind, you only get this small royalty only after you as an artist have paid back your record label for everything they have spend on your project.
So who is getting the other $14.43? The record labels, distributors etc! Why don’t artists use their time and energy to band together to demand higher royalties from their record labels? The reason is no one wants to do this is because artists don’t want to bite the hand that feeds them. Artists tolerate getting ripped off by their record labels and then have the nerve to blame their fans and the people who often times would have never bought their music or even heard of them in the first place. This is the dirty little secret of the music industry.
Record labels for the most part are basically banks to musicians. Artists deal with it because they often can’t get the money and distribution resources to do it on their own. This is why artists need to tour, develop merchandising lines, pursue acting and other projects etc. to make a living. Many artists still make tons of money even after getting ripped by their record labels. They then have the nerve to complain about people downloading their music illegally. Artists don’t realize that those people who illegally download music often buy more CD’s and downloads than anyone, they also tell their friends about your music, go to your shows, buy merchandise etc. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you. This is why many consumers have trouble feeling sorry for rich musicians.
October 10th, 2009 at 8:34 am
“This is why many consumers have trouble feeling sorry for rich musicians.”
But how many musicians are rich? Maybe a couple dozen bands out of the hundreds of thousands of musicians across the country? So you are going to steal and penalize everyone else just because a few bands made it big?
And isn’t that the whole essence of capitalism? You work hard, get a few lucky breaks, and are rewarded for your efforts? Would you prefer if we became a socialistic or communistic country where everyone must share their income and possessions? Can I come into your house and look through your things? Maybe you have some stuff that I would like.
Finally, who are you to judge whether someone should receive money? You can choose not to give them YOUR money, but then you have no right to steal their product. If you don’t like what they’re selling, don’t buy it, but don’t steal it either.
Music theft/sharing is simply a degradation of societal order. It’s misguided people becoming criminals simply because they can. Which goes to show how important laws and penalties are, because when these things are weak or missing — as with file sharing — then many humans show their true colors. File sharers are a lying, cheating, stealing, evil bunch.
October 10th, 2009 at 9:32 am
Robin, I noticed that you didn’t respond to any other part of my comments. Why? Because you and I know what I said was true.
Don’t kid yourself. There are hundreds or even thousands of rich musicians despite the fact that their record labels rip them off. I agree with some of what you said about file sharers.
However, the argument you make is like a terrorist who blames the USA for all their troubles when their own government is who is the one oppressing them. Take a good, hard look at your own record deal (if you have one) then tell me that “file sharers” are the only people oppressing you as a musician. If you’re honest, you’ll see that record labels share the blame.
Do you really think making 55 cents on average per CD for something you poured your time, sweat and heart into is not oppressive when your record label is making 10-20 times that on you (and that’s on top of you having to pay them back for what they spent first!)?
If that’s the case you must not think much of your own music. My music is worth far more than 55 cents to me that’s why I started my own label. I want proper compensation for my work.
If every artist stood up for themselves and demanded higher royalities from their labels then it really wouldn’t make much difference if a handful of jerks illegally downloaded their stuff.
People have been sharing music for decades, the record industry has seen to it with technological advances. Many are just upset now because they can’t profit from it they way they used to. If it were solely up to the record labels, nobody would own any physical music products anymore. You would just pay every time you stream it.
October 10th, 2009 at 10:01 am
I’ll just add this to my previous comments…I’m NOT defending illegal file sharers. I love capitalism and have absolutely NO desire to live in a communist or socialist country.
I’m not judging who should get money and who shouldn’t. I just think that the people who actually create the music get to keep a bigger share of the profit from what they create. Call me crazy, I guess.
I just think record labels and the music industry itself shares equal or even greater blame than file sharers for the state of things. Don’t you think it’s a little ironic that record labels encourage file sharing and then complain when it’s not done on their terms and is out of their control? After all, record labels created the file sharing monster out of their own greed to reduce costs and keep people from owning any physical product. They try to sound noble like their just giving the consumer what they want but it’s really is just a feeble attempt to maximize profits and control the enivronment. They created the monster and now complain when it no longer becomes theirs to control and use to oppress others.
October 10th, 2009 at 10:08 am
All of you are making excuses for stealing. You can rationalize it all you want, as if you are some modern day Robin Hood, righting a cosmic wrong by stealing from the big record companies and giving to poor little ol’ you. But the truth is you are a common thief, no better than a petty shoplifter at WalMart.
If you don’t like the price or profit or quality of music, then don’t buy it and don’t steal it.
October 10th, 2009 at 10:52 am
I’ll use this as my final word on this because it’s no longer worth my time.
How is asking record labels to fairly compensate their artists for their work “rationalizing” stealing? I personally have never claimed to be some “modern day Robin Hood”. I’m not making excuses for or condoning illegal file sharers.
If anyone is “rationalizing” it’s you. You think that if you use misdirection you will absolve the record labels of their part in the problem. Shame on you. You’re no better than those oppressive foreign governments who starve, overtax, control, suppress the freedom of and even kill their citizens and then have the nerve to say to their citizens that some distant 3rd party is the cause of all their ills.
Your “like it or lump it” mentality is depressing and contrary to every principle America was built on. If everyone thought the way you do, nothing in this world would get better. How did the rights that musicians and other workers enjoy now come about? Was it from people who just took oppression lying down or was it from those who fought for what’s right even if it pissed off the status quo?
October 10th, 2009 at 11:06 am
Re: “You’re no better than those oppressive foreign governments who starve, overtax, control, suppress the freedom of and even kill their citizens and then have the nerve to say to their citizens that some distant 3rd party is the cause of all their ills.”
Oh, I get it. You’re a music terrorist! You don’t like what the oppressive record companies are doing, so you’re going to bomb the artists by stealing their music. And just like al Queda terrorists, you end up hurting the innocent people you claim to protect.
Re: “Was it from people who just took oppression lying down or was it from those who fought for what’s right even if it pissed off the status quo?”
So you’re stealing music for a greater cause? And if something in the world doesn’t go your way, crime is the answer? You claim to be fighting for the good. But the only one profiting from your actions is you. Sounds like petty theft to me.
October 10th, 2009 at 11:30 am
Wow! Robin, you really are dense and really don’t listen. You just take a comment out of context and use it to bash people. Your like a petulant child who only sees and thinks (and read) only what they want to see, what fits their narrow little view.
I’ll spell it out to you clearly then. I’m not stealing anything. I’m not a terrorist, thief or whatever else you want to call me. I don’t advocate or condone crime.
I buy tons of music (probably much more than you do and most people for that matter). I have to for my business. Since I’m also a DJ & Remixer, I also get a lot of music sent to me for free (legally as promotions by record labels, remix services, record pools etc.).
So the next time you decide to spout your misguided, venom at someone, try directing at someone who deserves it.
October 10th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Sorry, you appear to be an honest citizen. My mistake. I thought you were justifying music theft because of the record companies actions. It’s one of many lame excuses that people use to rationalize music theft. My comments are still valid to the majority of file sharers, but not to you.
October 10th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
I know a lot of people who justify stealing music because they are fighting for artist rights against massive record companies. When I ask them, “So then instead of giving iTunes $9.99 for a CD, you send the $10 directly to the artists instead?” The answer is usually, “Um, no…”
People don’t steal physical CDs from Best Buy because they will be arrested. The truth is that people steal music because they are dishonest and they can get away with it.
October 11th, 2009 at 3:09 pm
The times are changing. Period. Digital music is becoming more of a promotional tool, in my opinion. At least, it will for those who want to remain viable in the industry. I’m not saying this as a fan, but as a musician/producer for the last 14 years. I have witnessed, firsthand, how things have changed. Artists are just going to have to see that an “illegal” download is played for many people over its lifetime. Many of those people may never have heard of the band, or possibly only heard one song on the radio and didn’t like it that much, but the rest of the album was phenomenal. Maybe instead of just expecting people to pay $10-$15 for just a piece of plastic (which can become scratched and/or destroyed very easily) with 8-15 songs on it, artists should start enticing people with more extras. KISS has the right idea with this box set, at least. We all know these are very tough economical times, so we’re not just going to throw our money wildly like we used to and expect the same old stuff in return. When people buy the CD in a store, it’s because they want a physical piece of the artist. They want the artwork, the thoughts and opinions of the artist, etc. You can call downloaders “pirates” or “terrorists” or whatever you want, but the fact remains that musicians as a whole have gotten lazy over the years and have done almost nothing to set themselves apart from others. Except limiting their release to Wal-Mart stores, which is becoming a frightening trend. But that is another soapbox that will be reserved for a future discussion.
October 13th, 2009 at 12:01 am
Why should Gene or Paul worry about piracy come on there multi millionares anybody who is in the music industry knows you make all your money mostly off your publishing rights. what the industry has to do is make sure these file sharing networks are part of ASCAP or BMG if not then the FCC or what ever agency in other countries should shut them down.Your service provider should be part of these publishing companies.Piracy is for the poor man yes it hurts the industry but if the companies own a fourth,half or more of the publishing rights then they will survive thats where they take the risks of payola-which goes on all the time.Singing crappy acts is what kills the industry thats why acts like Kiss.Van halen and even the Beatles are stealing the young generation.
October 14th, 2009 at 3:24 pm
So…it appears that some of you saying it’s okay to steal as long as you’re stealing from rich people? As a musician who depends upon sales of my product to pay my bills and feed my family, I’m always distressed when I hear that I’ve been ripped off through “file sharing”, photocopying, or any of the other convenient ways people can steal from me.
If you got it free, someone else just lost money.
October 19th, 2009 at 6:51 pm
Welcome Gene Simmons come to CANADA ‘can kiss my CANADIAN PHUCKEN ASS! while he doing that his daughter can blow me’ P2P here to stay
November 24th, 2009 at 10:49 am
Free is too expensive for their shit music. Gene Simmons and his geriatric friends can go back to the old folks’ home with their 1940′s ideas.
I’d rather get the sandwich.
December 16th, 2009 at 10:16 am
Of course, this argument only works if you can prove that a download = a lost sale. Which is not the case.
December 16th, 2009 at 10:35 am
@Gary: Of course, your argument only works if you can prove that theft requires intent to buy. Which is not the case. By your faulty logic, it’s OK for you to steal a Porche from the local dealership because you never intended to buy one anyway. I’d like to see you try that logic in a court of law.
February 2nd, 2010 at 12:31 pm
There’s no need for a full page of anti-piracy vs. anti-poor musicians. The FACT is, that there are not tough enough laws. I mean, any kid can go on the internet and download the entire Kiss catalog for free, it’s not the kids fault, it’s the ADULTS that can’t get it together and STOP the illegal sharing on the internet…stealing will destroy the music industry.
Us ADULTS are letting these kids steal. GO DROP SOME HUNDRED DOLLAR BILLS ON YOUR TEENAGERS FLOOR. Do you think he’s going to come to you and say he just found hundreds of dollars on his floor? Maybe he’ll just pick and spend it. Now is that stealing? He just found it on the internet, a song by Kiss. Is it stealing or not?
IF YOU DON’T WANT KIDS TO STEAL YOUR MUSIC, THEN DON’T PUT IT WHERE THEY’LL GRAB IT. THE INTERNET YOU CAN GRAB, STEAL, COPY WHATEVER YOU WANT. IT’S NOT GOVERNED SO GO STEAL EVRYBODY, AND HAVE FUN WITH IT. LOAD UP YOUR ITUNES AND IPOD, AND ALL YOUR FRIENDS TOO !!!!!!!!!!!
February 6th, 2010 at 10:32 pm
P2P Own3d ur Azz Kiss. Music piracy here to stay muthaphucker
August 7th, 2010 at 2:13 pm
The music industry is SO full of crap about piracy; if they care so much, why not just SELL their mp3′s on the internet, at high studio-quality and without viruses– and put out FAKE copies on the pirate-boards etc, which claim to be good but aren’t?
It’s because then, EVERYONE would do it, and they want to hold a MONOPOLY on who gets famous and who isn’t?
SERIOUSLY, none of these “MTV divas” would possibly have a CHANCE in a truly competitive market; they ALL SUCK! Meanwhile the REAL talent Coal-miner’s daughters get steamrolled over by the no-talent twits like Paula, Maria and Britney (DIE BRITNEY DIE!) and the one-hit wonders like Shakira, Alanis and Fiona.
And the music-industry can do this because they hold a fricking MONOPOLY, and they want to KEEP it!
So I love it when idiots pitch a fit about “piracy,” I just laugh and do more.
August 7th, 2010 at 2:16 pm
In short, stealing from big business, ISN’T stealing– it’s TAKING BACK, since they stepped on everyone else to get it in the first place, pulling strings with their corporate lobby and store-bought politicians.
August 7th, 2010 at 2:19 pm
Mikelo–
one problem– if you steal a Porsche, then they can’t SELL it to someone who WOULD buy it!
So your argument is typical dumbass internet-logic.
August 7th, 2010 at 2:25 pm
Don’t like file-sharing? Fine– NEVER record a TV-show or radio-song, because you’re not paying for it, and you don’t have permission to record it.
Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.
August 28th, 2010 at 4:01 pm
Oh come on Gene it is nothing like stealing my car and then calling it borrowing it for the simple reason that that car is my only car or at least one of two and you have millions of copies of CDs and because you have no reason to steal my car you’ve probably got 5 or 6 and another thing you knew what you were getting into when you went into the music business you don’t provide a service you provide entertainment and it is your job to tour and play live shows for people because thats how you started out in the first place your job isnt to sit on your ass and twiddle your fingers on a guitar in an air conditioned recording studio with a few beers and probably some weed. No, your job is to play music for all your fans. But way back in the day you probably didnt have all the luxaries that you do today when recording a CD and i applaud you for making it has far as you have but everything you just said is dumb if file sharing is killing the industry then for as long as its been possible for people to make coppies of CDs why is the music industry still thriving today? Actually there are more bands now-a-days than there were before music has become a major part of todays society. You take a gamble when you mass produce CDs because what if no one buys them? what then? then you just wasted a whole bunch of money. Companies take those risks every day when they develop new products its how business goes. The more popular your band is the more money you make period. You did get one thing right though Gene what you do isnt charity work but i and a few other thousand or so people didn’t ask you do this you chose to do it if you wanted a more reliable income you should have chosen a different profession not one that relies on the tastes and preferences of other people. CDs and Merch are not reliable sources of income because you could be hot one minute and then old news the next. If i bought a candy bar and then i broke it in half and gave half of it to someone else is the candy bar company going to sue me because i possibly lost them a sale? Of course not as a matter of fact it would probably make that other person want to buy a whole candy bar. But after all of this i do not believe it is right for someone to make copies of CDs and then sell them because that IS stealing potential income from the bands but how are you going to stop it? by prosecuting the people that download your crappy music so that they can listen to it because they actually like your crappy music and then share it with freinds and then their friends and then their freinds creating a ripple effect and ultimately where you’ll ultimately be gaining more fans and probably more potential income? Nope that will only make people hate you. If i can’t afford to buy your CD does that mean i don’t have a right to listen to your music? What if you’re my favorite band? You’re going to shit me out of listening to your songs because i can’t afford to line your pockets? That makes you a money hungry douche. Oh and i don’t know why people havent mentioned this yet but because you mass produce so many CDs it deplenishes their overall worth doesn’t it? and if someone can’t afford to buy the damn CD to begin with how is that hurting you we can afford to buy blank CDs and make coppies so which do you think is the better option for us? We still give you credit for the songs but we just can’t afford to buy the original CDs. You should be happy that we even give a damn about you enough to listen to your crappy music because we might have rich friends that might like you and pay for your crap. The copy right laws are there to keep other people from producing coppies and selling them for profit just like the other thousands of companies that sell stuff not to put the people that actually like your music in jail. You’re not anymore special than anybody else so shut up and quit whining.
October 9th, 2010 at 1:18 am
These corporate-music whiners makes me laugh; if they wanted to minimize file-sharing of music, then they could just sell music online directly in the form of MP3′s of 168-bit studio-quality; and if the price was right, then they’d minimize losses from file-sharing.
But the TRUTH is, that they want to have their cake and eat it too– i.e. they want to CONTROL THE INDUSTRY; and if everyone bought their mp3′s online, then they couldn’t charge money for 128-bit CD’s, which are of inferior quality to 168-bit MP3′s.
They also want to control the industry by deciding who becomes famous, and who doesn’t– rather than letting the customer decide; and so we get crappy, psycho performers like Britney Spears, Paula Abdul and Mariah Carey, rather than GREAT ones who might not look or dance so great– which doesn’t matter when you’re LISTENING to them!
And it’s the same with KISS– they might look cool in concerts, but they SOUND like CRAP.
Meanwhile the fat girl who’s a FANTASTIC musician, doesn’t have a chance of being promoted since she can’t compete on MTV.
So don’t be guilt-tripped by the music-industry, it’s just corporate propaganda. File-sharing is a fact of the times, and they can either get WITH the times or go the way of the buggywhip and the dinosaur.
They even bully barber-shops who have a radio playing, in order to extort money from them for “using their music.”
And now it’s about time that the corporate music-thugs paid the piper– they’re losing control, and they can’t stand it.
When the music-market is finally free, then EVERY artist will be able to sell their songs directly on the web, rather than having the corporations decide– and the sooner that happens, the better.
November 6th, 2010 at 5:00 pm
[...] Kiss Talks About Music Piracy 7 Oct 2009. Fact is, CD's these days cost just as much as they always have and have.. I'm no fan of Kiss, but they got this right. If you steal music from… and because you have no reason to steal my car you've probably got 5 Kiss Talks About Music Piracy [...]