> http://www.usatoday.com/usatonline/20021023/4557245s.htm > > Music industry spins falsehood > > By Janis Ian
That article, which by now has been published quite a few places, online and off, has stirred up a lot of dust (have we discussed this before, sorry if this is a repeat). Janis has many valid points on the issue (and she should know). God knows the companies have ripped off countless recording artists. But the bottom line of the issue, for me, is that recorded music and lyrics are copyrighted materials, property worth protecting. And nobody has the right to copy and distribute copyrighted materials without permission. Sure, it's a great way to market and distribute music - but only with permission! I am disgusted when people refer to distributing (stealing) copyrighted materials as "file sharing." It is simply not their file to share. Everything isn't free, even on the internet. That, as Janis used to write, about sums it up. Bryan
