Month: July 2013

Steal a Little: Piracy & the Economy via The Illusion Of More

I’ve wanted a sailing yacht for years but have never been able to afford one — until now. Thanks in part to a report on piracy and counterfeiting by the GAO and this explication by CCIA (Computer & Communications Industry Association) lobbyist Matt Schruers, I now have a plan that will put me at the… Continue reading Steal a Little: Piracy & the Economy via The Illusion Of More

Repeat after me… “Artists are Innovators!” via VOX INDIE

Testimony from copyright hearing highlights what’s at stake for content creators On Thursday (July 25th) the House Subcommittee on Courts, Intellectual Property, and the Internet held another hearing on copyright reform, “Innovation in America: The Role of Copyrights,” with the following witness invited to testify: Sandra Aistars, Executive Director, Copyright Alliance Eugene Mopsik, Executive Director,… Continue reading Repeat after me… “Artists are Innovators!” via VOX INDIE

Spotify is Right on Ad Funded Piracy and YouTube

We were very pleased to see this statement by Spotify’s in house economist Will Page (and sorry if we missed it before) : “Copyright infringing websites are big businesses … 2/3 of piracy sites have advertising, and 1/3 also include credit card logons. This competition is real: consider how ad pricing is distorted by those… Continue reading Spotify is Right on Ad Funded Piracy and YouTube

Why Spotify is NOT the Enemy of Artists, and Who Is…

Spotify has been taking a beating in the press lately and we understand why. We have offered our own criticisms which mostly revolve around royalty rates and transparency. But we’ve also stated that Spotify is a symptom of a much larger disease of illegally operating, infringing businesses who make millions individually and billions collectively while… Continue reading Why Spotify is NOT the Enemy of Artists, and Who Is…

Stealing is Good for You Says CCIA and GAO: A match made in heaven

Originally posted on Music Technology Policy:
Washington lobbyist Matt Schruers, who works for the Computer & Communications Industry Association, is floating a paper released by the Government Accountability Office (“Intellectual Property: Observations on Efforts to Quantify the Economic Effects of Counterfeit and Pirated Goods” (GAO-10-423)). So you get the context, the Computer & Communications Industry…

FOIA Request Shows That GAO Is Still Stonewalling on Sources for “Stealing is Good” Report

Originally posted on Music Technology Policy:
[This post appeared earlier in 2011–but given the rogue sites debate that demonstrates just how much money is being made from online theft, understanding who influenced this GAO “report” that found that “stealing is good” is even more necessary.] Some of you may remember the report by the Government…

Why Spotify’s Piracy Study Isn’t Cause for Celebration | SPIN | Newswire

Report shows promising signs, but only in the Netherlands… …According to a Spotify spokesperson, the company doesn’t break down user numbers by individual country, but has 6 million paying subscribers and 24 million users worldwide… …The report follows news that music sales increased greatly in Sweden, Spotify’s home country, corresponding with the service’s growing popularity… Continue reading Why Spotify’s Piracy Study Isn’t Cause for Celebration | SPIN | Newswire

This is What Innovation Looks Like!

A small random sampling of what Innovation and Expression of Free Speech looks like. This post could easily go for miles so please forgive our small sampling and omissions in our illustration of the innovative work of musicians and songwriters. “Dark Side Of The Moon” – Pink Floyd “Nevermind” – Nirvana “OK Computer” – Radiohead… Continue reading This is What Innovation Looks Like!