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To: Tumbleweed who wrote (9768)	3/20/2000 6:53:00 PM
From: Rocky Reid	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 60323

OT: Record Companies >>>>>A change that might not have occurred had the industry not charged $15 for a piece of plastic that probably costs 10c to produce and that the music artist gets only $1 or less for.<<<<< This convenient piece of "logic" is used to try and justify stealing. In fact, it is not the "$0.10" piece of plastic that one pays for on a CD. It is the CONTENT. Music does not make and record itself. The costs can be HUGE to sign, record, and promote an artist. An average smaller-time Major Label rock band on their first record deal may get a $100,000 advance. The recording budget may be about $500,000. Tour support $$$ advances may be another $250,000. Now then, this adds up to less than $1 Million in expenses, right? Peanuts to a Major Label, right? Wrong. Multiply this times 20, or 30, or more smaller-time rock bands on just one label (bands you never hear about). Did you know that only 1 out of every 20 artists on a major label ever makes back the money expensed on their behalf by a label? Record labels go out of business all the time- especially if they don't have a huge hit every so often. EMI was the latest about 3 years ago. Now, the EMI name has been resurrected and swallowed up by a bigger label. However the list of labels that go bankrupt and disappear is extensive. Also, big artists (Madonna, et. al) command HUGE advances in the Multi-$$$ Millions. If these artists don't pan out for the label sales-wise, the company can be hit financially hard. This is another burden they must endure. This happens all the time BTW. I know personally a smaller-time rock band here in NYC who got a $1.5 Million advance (they had a "Big Buz" at the time here), $750,000 Recording budget, and $$$ for tour support, and who sold less than 100,000 copies of their CD. Sony bit it on that one. The Rationalization that goes on to justify Stealing and give the perp Peace of Mind about their actions is just further evidence of a degradation of Copyright in America. The lack of Copyright principles from other parts of the world has found fertile soil right here. Whether a "Genie is out of the bottle" is irrelavent. Stealing is stealing. I wouldn't like it if I were smart and worked hard enough to establish and maintain a company, only to have my investment stolen right out from under me- and then everyone say it's OK. Whether you or I like it or not, record companies own the CONTENT their signed artists produce. Whether the CONTENT is delivered on a $0.10 piece of plastic or a $100 Sandisk Card doesn't make any difference.