Gotta love the music industry... [/sarcasm]

First complaint, although things are changing by little bits. Sometimes.

I love a lot of music made by European artists, so it sucks living in North America sometimes. Internet radio and YouTube provide some relief, but I do love my CDs as they sound much better than mp3s. I look for my favourite artists in all the local stores and come up with nothing, save for the rare lucky find. So why is it that when I went to the UK I had to be careful not to spend all the money I had? I found CD after CD with my favourite artists in just one store in the UK. I made one HMV store very happy. Why aren't these easily available in North America?

There's also some artists that I've found, but I cannot find ANY albums anymore for them, sometimes because the artists haven't published anything in a long time. It doesn't matter where I look, some can't be found... legally. Type the song name into Google and you can definately get it – at a P2P site. What do I do?

Another issue, and was a hot topic in Canadian parliament:

So well, I've bought some CDs from wherever. I handed over my cash to buy these albums so I could listen to them whenever I wanted to. I love sticking them into the CD player at home and listening to them with those five speakers. But well, I can't easily pack around that setup everywhere I go.

So, do I have the right to copy this CD that I've paid for, to use on MY computer and on MY mp3 player? I'm not giving this file to anyone else and I've kept the CD. And can I make a copy of this CD to keep in the car so nothing happens to the original?

If you buy a CD in Canada that you can write on (like a CD-R), you have to pay a levy on it, regardless of what its end use is. So, can I make a hard copy of that CD I bought?

I'm not really asking someone to go look up the laws in Canada (or wherever you live) and tell me what the answer is. I'm asking what you think the answer should be.

So, this thread is for the discussion of the above issues or your own.

These discussing will inevitably lead to P2P site discussion, however I feel it necessary to apply some rules to this discussion concerning the purchasing and copying of music:
a) no specific illegal websites, be they websites selling hard media copies of music without the permission of those who own the rights (the artists and the record companies) to the music or websites that allow illegal file sharing, be promoted during the discussion;
b) no direct links to any illegal websites be provided during the discussion;
c) no specific illegal websites will be named and will be given the term "P2P website" instead during the discussion;
d) no "how to" guides for acquiring music illegally be provided during the discussion.

As I have no post-editing abilities, the moderators and administrators will edit any posts that they feel break any of these rules.

Well I can't speak for Canada, but stateside you are allowed to make as many copies of anything you have purchased. You just cant turn around and sell them.
I've bought a CD, through software converted it to mp3, stuck it on an iPod. Burned a disc.
You can do what ever the hell you want with it EXCEPT sell it. Because you own a copy of a license.
You can't sell a copy of a license. You can only sell a licensed copy.

I think the problem the music industry had was not having a better lock on this stuff before the tech got past them.
It was defining moment in how music is shared online.

As far as why you can't find the music you like in a store near you.....

I think Really Big Fish said it best with...

"Radio plays what they want you to hear."

Its the nature of the beast. Music execs, lawyers, artists, promoters etc....all need to get paid. So everything is carefully planned to make sure that happens.

As long as you don't sell those copies and keep for private use your good. As a purchaser you should be able to create a back up of a product that you paid for. I think in Europe you are allowed to make a copy of software in the event that you lose the original so long as you don't use it to distribute the product for money or to people who isn't the license holder. Not sure though. So I believe that they same can be said for music which could be argued is software.

As to finding European Artists have you tried Amazon or online stores to buy the music legally? I don't think Music CDs are Region specific, so if you do a bulk buy you could save on postage and packaging.

Dunno how she's corrupting them other than really weird fashion taste.

Her lyrics, and her videos. They're... well, not suitable for kids, thats for sure. "I'll get him hard, show him what I got." I mean... Seriously, why would they say that on the radio?

Oh wait, every other song on the radio is about sex too Either that, or partying, or drinking, or breaking up with someone....

Rap, R&B, Pop. Rock seems more family friendly.

That's definately what I think. As long as you're not selling the copies of the songs you make from the CD you bought, you should be to do whatever you want with them. If I have a PS3, a laptop, an ipod, a whatever, it seems ridiculous to buy a copy of the song to use on each of those devices.

I've had this on my mind for some time, especially with Bill C-61. The Canadian government scrapped it just before the most recent election.

I've seen tons of stuff about this, but it's going to take time to find it all.

In terms of radio, wasn't there a case in the UK where a mechanics shop played the radio for its employees, but the public could hear it. Since the public could hear it, it was illegal broadcasting and they didn't have permisstion to do this. They lost the case in court.



If it's on public radio, why should this matter? Couldn't a consumer easily wait in their car and turn their radio up loud so others can hear it? Does that count as a bad thing too?

I'm not sure on the technical legality of it all, but yes we now have to have a license from the Performing Rights Society in order to have the radio on at work in case somebody who hasn't paid their TV/broadcast license can hear it. The music industry has, in it's employ, the best legal minds on the planet. They use these minds to concoct ludicrous legal statements about fair use policies and the like, knowing full well that you couldn't afford to defend yourself if it ever came to court anyway.. Look at YouTube, they won't allow you to use any intellectual property without full permission because they know the costs involved with getting into that situation, despite the law stating that non-profit use is okay and doesn't require paid duties.

As for the industry letting us hear what they want... Too true, unfortunately. When the band I was in was in the studio we were working with the guy who had just been promoted to head A + R at UMG records, we were talking about the recent release of Santana's "Supernatural" album and discussing a possible progressive revolution in the music scene, it all working in cycles and that... He said no, they were already recruiting for the next big thing and it would be an 'Indie boy band' that would bring in both the teen girls pocket money and their mother's too. 'Busted' hit the scene not long after.