The title kinda sums up my opinion on whether mp3 trading should be banned!
Let’s chart the course of music in history. Somewhere someone hummed a tune and then they realised it was pleasing to the ear and food for the soul.So they sang. in privacy. Then someone realised that some people made better music than the rest and hence decided to make others happy and gave public performances. The world of entertainment was born.
Then science grew and some company decided you can listen to bands even when they were not there in front of you! The recording company was born and entertainment took another leap.
No sweat. This meant more publicity for the bands and a source of income.
That was fine as all the recording and distribution was done by the recording labels only.
But then science took it’s persistent stride forward and recording shifted into your living room witha player that recorded on cassettes.
So now I didn’t buy all my tapes. I borrowed a few from friends and recorded them. Music Piracy had begun. But hey nobody sued Sony or Philips for making that possible.
Then things raced on with CDs DATs, the computer WAVs and finally mp3s. Then a guy called Shawn got a huge grant and people could now trade mp3s.
Someone got jealous and bingo - Napster is no more.
That may be a highly one-sided way of looking at it, but here’s why I think MP3 trading is OK. And why napster(and other things like aimster, audiogalaxy, scour) should not be banned
Nobody ever banned Sony or Philips for creating a cassette recorder(at least I hope not)
Will winamp close down because most people play their mp3s on winamp?
Most people don’t listen to music primarily on their computers/mp3 player. at least not yet!
Most people don’t download entire albums, etc
I get MP3s mostly to sample new artists and new albums which I later buy. In a way it’s good publicity for the bands.
Millions of people can’t be wrong
I think the fact that bands are worried that their income will come down shows them to be money - minded rather thatn music minded!
Lotsa other points, but I’ll still love the mp3 trading. I presently use audiogalaxy and aimster.
Every story has 2 sides. If I were a recording artist or a band manager(which I will never be), my point of view will be different. but till then!