RIAA and Public Media

[kojikun]

I was thinking about the RIAA lawsuits, and what a public good is in economic terms, and then it hit me -- The United States should set up an equivalent of the BBC. Either an entirely new company, or by buying out some major record companies, and then taxing consumers for things like computers or MP3 players. A small tax, maybe $50 a year per device or something. But all music produced by the company would free (as in freedom, not as in beer). Thats no to say that all commercial labels would vanish, but we'd have the American equivalent of the BBC, only bigger and better because we have more people and mroe tax revenue. You figure, I have a computer and an iPod, thats $200 a year. Most people would be paying about that much, on average, so $100*300,000,000 is a WHOPPING $30,000,000,000 tax revenue that would be funnelled directly into the corporation. Because its a public company, it would not be run like a commercial company, and would produce higher quality music because of the ability to take huge risks.

The creation of a public good supports this -- people are unwilling to pay for the product themselves (proven by the widespread use of downloading software) but would still benefit from the product if it didn't cost as much. It would be alot like public parks. Only instead of funding parks, we fund music. It works brilliantly in Britain, tho some people don't like having to pay a tax on something they don't necessarilly want. Well, tough noogies. Maybe we could have a thing that taxes people for owning download software, monitored by whoever.

Something similar should be done with PBS, so we can get some good quality television here. Tho knowing the US, something like this will never happen.

Just an opinion. Feel free to ramble along with me.

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

Perfectly fine and dandy till 90% of that $30billion gets silently diverted into CIA, NSA, and NRO black projects...

[kojikun]

Perfectly fine and dandy till 90% of that $30billion gets silently diverted into CIA, NSA, and NRO black projects...

hahaha- wait, whats the NRO? Damnit! ::puts on tinfoil helmet::

[The Yosemite Bear]

We already do tax recording devices including HDD's and give a cut to the recording industry. They really don't want you to know that, but it already has been posted here before.

[RedImperator]

Are you nuts? A $50 yearly tax on every piece of electronic equipment you own? The stuff depreciates at least that much every year. Nobody would pay it--they'd buy their equipment on the black market or just refuse to declare purchases.

[The Yosemite Bear]

Actually RI, Koji, I said we already HAVE a tax on the SALE of all RECORDING MEDIA, be it HDD's, CD-RW, Floppies, Tapes, VCR tapes, etc.

There is also a tax on those memory sticks for Digital Cameras & MP3's, as well as on the sale of mini disks. The RIAA gets a fuckin HUGE cut. but they don't distribute it to anyone. Oh and with pay subsciption services, give RIAA a monthly cut for the use of song, and they still go after their clients TOO. This is fucking breach of contract, illegal shit that the RIAA is pulling.

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

Actually RI, Koji, I said we already HAVE a tax on the SALE of all RECORDING MEDIA, be it HDD's, CD-RW, Floppies, Tapes, VCR tapes, etc.

There is also a tax on those memory sticks for Digital Cameras & MP3's, as well as on the sale of mini disks. The RIAA gets a fuckin HUGE cut. but they don't distribute it to anyone. Oh and with pay subsciption services, give RIAA a monthly cut for the use of song, and they still go after their clients TOO. This is fucking breach of contract, illegal shit that the RIAA is pulling.

So they're already playing all sides for two cent whores and assraping us for all the money they can get? And they have the audacity to buy laws which hold a burning match to the Constitution as well? May they have an 'Interesting' existence... however long that may be

I think the RIAA pigs need to see jail time in Federal Rape-Me-In-The-Ass Prison for this, and not a short plea-bargained-up-the-wazoo slap on the wrist either. We also need to educate the public of this fact so they can mount a Class Action Lawsuit as well. The RIAA can't attack us with their uber-lawyer armies if they don't have the money to pay 'em...

[RedImperator]

Actually RI, Koji, I said we already HAVE a tax on the SALE of all RECORDING MEDIA, be it HDD's, CD-RW, Floppies, Tapes, VCR tapes, etc.

There is also a tax on those memory sticks for Digital Cameras & MP3's, as well as on the sale of mini disks. The RIAA gets a fuckin HUGE cut. but they don't distribute it to anyone. Oh and with pay subsciption services, give RIAA a monthly cut for the use of song, and they still go after their clients TOO. This is fucking breach of contract, illegal shit that the RIAA is pulling.

I know about the special taxes on sales. They're one-time taxes. Koji was advocating a YEARLY tax on all electronic media devices you own, which is what I was responding to.

[The Yosemite Bear]

Ok, but the RIAA gets taxes on the sale and gets pay offs from the subscription services. What's to stop these monopolistic pricefixing bcontract breaching Bastards of the RIAA would still take the money and extort legitamate users anyways.

[kojikun]

I know about the special taxes on sales. They're one-time taxes. Koji was advocating a YEARLY tax on all electronic media devices you own, which is what I was responding to.

Not all, just music devices. And the music would be FREE. As in open source. As in all the RIAA shit put under the GPL.

[The Yosemite Bear]

So considering that they have been convicted of pricefixing, and their current lawsuit campaign is illegal enough to qualify as extorion. Anyone want to consider lobbying a federal Judge to consider RIAA a "Currupt Organization" as per the RICO act since their actions are text book racketeering. Which would mean that we could FREEZE Their accounts when they bring one of these bogus suits against someone, and you can counter sue them for x5 the normal amount, and if a single executive is found to be involved in 5 or more counts of Price Fixing or extorion that person could recieve a 25 to life sentence.

[Edi]

I know about the special taxes on sales. They're one-time taxes. Koji was advocating a YEARLY tax on all electronic media devices you own, which is what I was responding to.

Not all, just music devices. And the music would be FREE. As in open source. As in all the RIAA shit put under the GPL.

Do you have any fucking idea about how this absolute bullshit idea of yours for US domestic issues would impact the rest of us who don't live in the US, are not subject to US law, and (unless out of principle) couldn't really give a fuck about what US legislation is proposed unless it affects us? Because it will, directly or indirectly since most of the IT industry is either based in the US or has strong enough ties that they would be affected, and by extension, so would we.

I'm not going to pay $50 a year for my radio, each of my hard drives (which the RIAA would insist on classifying as music devices), CD-drive, VCR and DVD-player (that can play music videos and CDs). That'd be $300 a year just for those, or €150 if you insist on classifying a single computer as one music device, and the response is a resounding "fuck you".

First off, I don't even listen to music much, so I'm sure as hell not going to pay for a product I never even see/hear/get my hands on, and secondly, this idiocy of yours would drive the cost of computers up, and it would generally cripple the several hundred billion dollars a year IT industry just to protect a less than ten billion dollars a year music industry dinosaur that has reached an evolutionary dead end through its own fault.

In short, Koji, piss the fuck off and try to think before you post similar crap again. Your cure is one hundred times worse than the disease you're trying to eradicate.

Edi

[Darth Wong]

Lemme see ... raise taxes by $30 billion per year in order to pay for a government-run free music studio ... yep, sounds like a brilliant idea.

[Spanky The Dolphin]

So would this $50 tax count on items that cost less than $50?

[Einhander Sn0m4n]

Lemme see ... raise taxes by $30 billion per year in order to pay for a government-run free music studio ... yep, sounds like a brilliant idea.

How do you feel about getting RICO on the RIAA's ass? I really do believe there is an airtight case.

[The Yosemite Bear]

Airtight except like Microsoft's blatant Illegalities it has administrative freedom from the powers that be. We can't get a federal judge with the balls to rip them like thery should be ripped...

[Xenophobe3691]

Airtight except like Microsoft's blatant Illegalities it has administrative freedom from the powers that be. We can't get a federal judge with the balls to rip them like thery should be ripped...

Well, palms are being greased like there's no tomorrow. Frankly, I'm willing to wait and watch the RIAA fall...

[MKSheppard]

A small tax, maybe $50 a year per device or something

*Shoots Kokijun in the nuts repeatedly, then runs him over with a semi*

You'll never tax my fucking Palm! This is AMERICA, not Britain where
we have to pay taxes on every TV we own to pay for the mouthpiece
of the government!

[TheDarkling]

*Shoots Kokijun in the nuts repeatedly, then runs him over with a semi*

You'll never tax my fucking Palm! This is AMERICA, not Britain where
we have to pay taxes on every TV we own to pay for the mouthpiece
of the government!

Yeah over there Fox fills that roll and the government doesn't even have to pay out.

[MKSheppard]

Yeah over there Fox fills that roll and the government doesn't even have to pay out.

I seem to recall a few years ago the Clinton News Network parroting our
former president when he was in power.

[TheDarkling]

I seem to recall a few years ago the Clinton News Network parroting our
former president when he was in power.

Well yes obviously like everything in the US polarisation between the two parties is necessary so CNN is the official mouthpiece of the Democrats.

[Zac Naloen]

A small tax, maybe $50 a year per device or something

*Shoots Kokijun in the nuts repeatedly, then runs him over with a semi*

You'll never tax my fucking Palm! This is AMERICA, not Britain where
we have to pay taxes on every TV we own to pay for the mouthpiece
of the government!

Yes thats why the bbc and the government are having a major row over the iraq issue... because they are parroting for the government

[TheDarkling]

Yes thats why the bbc and the government are having a major row over the iraq issue... because they are parroting for the government

Shush now we wouldn't want reality to impinge on Sheps Anglophobia.

[MKSheppard]

Shush now we wouldn't want reality to impinge on Sheps Anglophobia.

Uh huhm, my view towards your system has been biased since I once saw
an episode of Michael Moore's TV NATION showing how the british government
pays people to drive around in special vans to find "unregistered" TV
sets

[Zac Naloen]

so, they get to watch the bbc for free whilst everyone else has to pay?

either no one pays or everyone pays, otherwise its not fair...