Peer to Peer MP3 Sharing
P2P (peer to peer) Sharing –Crime or Artistic Justice
The mark of artistic talents has traditionally not been something quantifiably measured in dollars and cents. Shakespeare was all but a pauper, Michelangelo rather middle class while Pablo Picasso died broke. However with the advent of new information technology, the gross commercialization of art has come to be an externality borne by all members of society. One can hardly turn on a computer without being told what products to put on one’s hair -thrust down one’s throat and shove into other places on the human body. It is clear, that media affects everyone, as opting out is simply not an option for any individual or collective in today’s technologically tyrannical world. Ironically, individuals are not necessarily victims of this modern state of affairs as they are also the benefactors at the cost of some large corporate gurus. With Peer to Peer (P2P) file transfers occurring continuously around the world the individual is given a chance to evaluate art for what it truly is, leaving a greater onus on artist to derive monetary remuneration by alternative means.
The modern notion of artist revolves around junkie boy bands and artificially grown vocalist. The list of contemporary self-proclaimed divas includes names like Brittany Spears, Backstreet boys, NSYNC and many others. The so-called artists are manufactured and groomed in multimillion-dollar theatres filled with the most seasoned of spin-doctors, poised specifically to create the sound and image of the day to generate immediate profits. Songs are written, composed and choreographed by hundreds of respective experts only to be thrown into one giant smoke screen wielded by some pop idol that becomes a de facto spokesperson for the myriad of industry pundits; all of whom have a significant stake in the given image. Not surprisingly, when it comes to the prestigious awards presentations these pop gurus indiscriminately address themselves as artist. They typically claim to be in love with their work and “do it all for the sake of the fans.”
The recent crusade to eliminate the piracy of “their” work is the newest agenda on the pop scene while scores of the biggest pop stars have become the music industry’s new voice, speaking up for justice and fair compensation for the hard work and large investments that gets put in by the multitude of contributors. Their...