I was catching up on my magazine reading this weekend and came across a very well written article. The author offers some very basic and sound arguments against the way that the RIAA has been handling the entire downloading of music controversy. While I agree with the arguments, and it actually gets me quite agitated every time the RIAA does another stupid thing like suing 12 year olds, I must argue one point.
At the end of her article the author says "After all, I'm not a criminal. I'm a fan and perhaps, if handled with care, an unpaid marketer." Unfortunately her status as a criminal is not up for her or any other fan to determine but rather for the courts. Justifying an illegal action just because some good (even if that good is to the benefit of the victim) will come out of it does not make the action right. To put it in drastic terms, a woman who is impregnated as a victim of rape may end up with a wonderful child who she loves dearly and may be the light of her life, but that does not mean that the rapist is not a criminal.
Is the RIAA acting foolishly and turning off millions of potential buyers? I would say yes. Are they making themselves the object of ridicule in this nation? Again I would say yes. Do they have a right to bring those who they feel are wronging them in front of the Justice system of our country? Just as much as any other person does. We live in a society where there are laws and rules to abide by and we have instituted a courts system to make sure those rules are upheld. Let’s just hope that system is able to come up with a solution that is good for the RIAA, the artists, as well as the fans.