SOPA, CMPS, And Other Bad Ideas

STOP THE "STOP ONLINE PIRACY ACT"
The Dopelor Effect: When stupid ideas come at you really fast and leave really slowly!

There has to be a better way of funding creativity without inhibiting the expansion of new and emerging technologies. It is necessary that intellectual material not only be inspired, but it is meant to be shared. That's why we do it...to share it with as many people as possible and to hopefully receive the accolades. We also hope that the accolades will include more than a pat on the back...finacial reward is certainly one measure of appreciation. The web presents each of us with a means for having our musical or artistic expressions shared. However, the big recording labels have been an obstruction to equal access for our audience. I'm not sure of the answer but one thing of which I am certain: I want to get the middleman out of the way so that each "artist" may have equal or fair access to their audience. PAYOLA still rules! (from the Mario Cuomo days)

Remember Copyright Management Protection System? (CMPS?) It was an effort to deny functionality of new technologies to the mass market. It not only got in the way of current technologies but it often stifled the development of "a new and better widget." We have lost out on so much already...and I haven't even begun to address the inhibitors to research and archival. Just like the monks of the middle ages preserved a great deal of knowledge that had otherwise been lost during the dark ages; the www presents us with the ability to ensure preservation of wisdom or creativity that may have been overlooked by the mainstream. 

The lobbyists in the SOPA bill believe that they should be the sole gatekeepers of intellectual material. How much have we already lost forever because of these "suits." Gordon Goodwin, for instance is brilliant, but I have to admit that I might have been deprived of his brilliance had it not been for the internet. He has been an excellent self promoter and we eagerly look forward to his next release. I would imagine that his demographic audience is among the most honorable in making certain that they pay their fair share towards keeping him artistically, AND FINANCIALLY motivated. I think that SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) might be attempting to address a different demographic. However, the damage that they cause in their shot gun approach negatively impacts each of us in countless ways. 

Personally, I have been on the internet since 1984 when it was CLI. In the 90's I was both excited and angry at the same time when I was able to hear for myself some of the brilliant music that the "suits" had decided wasn't worthy of promoting. 

Our music and our art is meant to be shared. For the sake of art, and the technology that captures and shares it; let's ensure that we can all get the best penetration with the least obstruction to our market. Let's also find a way to ensure that we are each motivated...and capitalized. 

HOW ABOUT THIS? Once the initial public appetite for a musical product has been satisfied, and that genuine efforts for just and fair compensation to artists have achieved near-maximization, that product should then fall into "limited" public domain. That is: Not to be used for commercial enhancement of another product without the artist's consent; nor for contributing to the monetary benefit of anyone other than the artist. Otherwise, to be freely exchanged among "enthusiasts" or for archival purposes.

But..."That's just my opinion...What do you think?"
Here's my own band from the 70's that was squashed like a gnat by Decca.
http://www.griffin-house.com/forceten.html

SOPA Returns