control is an illusion

[Kim Cascone <kim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

>>> but did you steal those mp3:s or had the artists decided to make them
>>> available for download as promotion?
>>> 
>>> there is a world of difference.
>> 
>> not if both scenarios result in the purchase of said CD...your conjecture is
>> true only if you do not buy a CD...

> wrong.. there is a difference.. what if you have a stolen copy of a
> film/album before the final edit, against the wishes of the director? The
> artist/director loses control of their work at a point they didn't want to..
> it doesn't matter if you buy the cd or not.
> Some friends of mine have just released promos on cassette only, to try and
> slow down the bootlegging process. Interesting because mp3 geeks will have
> to decide whether they want the quality of a digital recorded file or the
> content of the music...

you're mixing apples and oranges...what the original post asked was if I had
stolen the mp3's or engaged in listening to an mp3 made available for
promotional purposes by the artist...so in that respect as long as either
scenario results in the sale of a CD then there is no 'crime' being
committed in the eyes of the RIAA...i.e., my mp3 downloading did not
supplant the purchase of a CD...

if you steal a movie or album BEFORE it is released to the public then there
is no way in which to actually consummate a exchange of money for
product...this is wrong and it can be considered stealing...if I DL a movie
(after it is released to the public) and as a result decide to pay to go see
the movie in a theater (based on liking the mp3) then it has benefited the
artist...also, if I DL a trailer on a films website and go see it as a
result it has also benefited the artist...

but I do agree with your point that DL'ing before an official release does
wrangle control away from the artist but I am not sure whether this serves
as promotion or theft in most cases...I don't DL movies so I cannot comment
on that part of DL culture... 

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