[BC] Arrested for just telling people where to find Copywrited material.

[Rich Wood]

------ At 05:58 AM 10/21/2007, Alan Alsobrook wrote: -------

>What makes the charges so odd is that he was again, only providing 
>LINKS to pirated content, and never actually hosted anything. Can 
>linking really be considered "facilitation?" If I link to TVLinks am 
>I then a co-conspirator?

Yes. I think the recording industry is so desperate to make up the 
financial shortfall created by their own incompetence that any source 
of money, not the least of which is the extortion of people accused 
of downloading illegally, is fair game.

Look at the profit center there. Write a letter to a student and give 
them a choice of paying $3000 or so or face very expensive litigation 
and you don't need to record anymore. Suing your customer is your 
product. I was always taught that was bad business. Times change, I guess.

Clearly, people are willing to pay for good content. Radiohead is 
said to have sold hundreds of thousands of copies via download at a 
voluntary average price of $8. It also was good enough to inspire the 
purchase of a few hundred thousand $80 complete CD sets with vinyl 
and old fashioned liner notes. Not a penny went to a record company, 
we're told.

I'm wondering how many stations will turn to Talk when faced with 
even more licensing fees to use music that still sells product. If 
you doubt that I wonder why the IBUZ tagging of music via iPods is 
the talk of the IBUZ industry. If radio doesn't sell music why go to 
all this trouble, especially when consumer interest in IBUZ receivers 
is non-existent?

We've been invaded by Wonderland and Alice will be our next dictator.

Rich