Music Industry on Upswing, on Downloading Battle

Well, I admit it. I really liked Kazaa, but I also really liked being free and not having cellmates named Bubba, so I uninstalled it on my computer and sadly went back to actually buying a whole CD. Now, downloading a song from the internet, without paying for it, is piracy and illegal. Ever since the Kazaa-junkies started downloading by the hundreds and thousands, the record companies have been fighting hard to make it cost you way more than the price of a CD. Well, it appears that the music industry claimed a victory in the battle on Friday, albeit merely symbolic. Full-year sales figures for the U.S., the world's largest music market, revealed a much lower number and drop.

From the launch of new subscription services and fighting back against illegal online file sharing, the industry has taken a bite out of its losses to piracy, according to the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Apple's iTunes store has helped rebuild the crumbling sales decline. Artists including Norah Jones are setting new records for online sales, as shown with her latest single "Sunrise," which has seemingly brought back the face of jazz, both in stores and, most significantly, online. It doesn't hurt that artists like Eminem and his music publisher, Eight Mile Style, are jumping on the band wagon to file suit claiming that Apple's iTunes used one of the rapper's songs in an iTunes television commercial without permission. The lawsuit, which was filed on February 20th in U.S. District Court in Detroit, MI, is just one more step many artists in the business are fully prepared to take. The goal seeming to be to save the seemingly outdated tradition of actually buying the music you desire instead of punching a key on a keyboard and a few minutes later, having it delivered to your hard drive.

In the unwavering scrutiny, the industry is directing at internet provider addresses linked to illegal downloads, many young and seemingly well-intentioned pirates are taking the hardest hits. Daniel Peng, 17, a computer wiz who skipped two grades before going to Princeton University, ran a campus-wide search engine that could be used to locate and download songs and movies. The music industry hurled a lawsuit at him, seeking potentially billions of dollars in damages for distributing copyrighted works. His site was shut down.

Suits have made national news, for attacking the average bear, like you or me, not the huge conglomerates like Kazaa. Subscription services like Roxio's Pressplay client, which offer unlimited downloads for a monthly fee, have been on the upswing. Even Kazaa has reconfigured their website and runs ads stating "don't get sued, download smart!" In September, turning the tables on record labels, Kazaa began a suit against entertainment companies for copyright infringement. Sharman Networks Ltd., the company behind the Kazaa file-sharing software, filed a federal lawsuit accusing the entertainment companies of using unauthorized versions of its software in their effort to snag users. Entertainment companies have offered fake versions of copyright works and sent online messages to users.

This year, actual shipments of CDs, music videos and other formats fell only an estimated 2.5%, a significant improvement to the 7.8% shortfall of the previous year. Mitch Bainwol, chairman of the RIAA, said the figures were evidence that their efforts were working and, given time, would have significant impact. Bainwol stated, "Record companies have taken a proactive approach to dealing with piracy, implementing educational efforts and enforcement programs that have dramatically increased awareness of the illegality of unauthorized file sharing." However, is the industry facing an extinction; the hard copy life being seen as archaic?

I have a friend that has in the upwards of 4,000 files in her download cache. As an artist myself, I see what all the fuss is about; you work hard, you deserve to reap the rewards. However, as a consumer, I also see where it has gotten ridiculous to buy a beloved track. If it's a choice between paying $17 for a CD or buying that new skirt that I can wear to a gig, the skirt wins, legs down. This attitude has industry executives warning that the trend is still moving in the wrong direction, forcing labels to cut costs.

Earlier this week, Warner Music, one of the world's top five in the industry said it was shedding more than 1,000 jobs in a bid to cut costs by $200 million. Sony Music and BMG are looking to do the same, if a planned venture goes through. With sales not expected to fully rebound until the late 2000s, these industries are only going to crack down more. "While the music industry continues to face serious challenges, we are pleased that trends appear to be going in a more positive direction."

Alas, positive always means money. Either out of my pocket or my skirt, whichever the case may be.