I like Jim.

But it looks like he’s protecting his job, like he’s too deep in the old model to see the new.

Bottom line, we’re not gonna have an ISP tax.

You know why?  Because the ISPs don’t want it.  Because if they cough up some money to the music industry, then they’re gonna have to cough up dough for movies, newspapers, quilters, everybody whose business has been affected by the Internet.  They don’t want to let anybody through the door, they don’t want to set precedent, and how would you divvy up the money anyway?

And content industries are a blip on the radar screen compared to telecom providers.  The RIAA is no match for the representatives of Comcast, Time Warner and Cablevision, never mind Verizon and AT&T.  And we know that lobbyists control the law, look at the new financial bill.

So why fight this unwinnable battle against deep pockets who are never going to cave?

Better yet, why keep trying to convince people music is worth something, that it shouldn’t be free?  Everybody knows that.  And you can’t win that battle.  That’s like telling teens to stop doing drugs and having sex.

Three strikes?

Come on.  Larry Lessig fights you in court, all the way to the Supremes, who determine it’s a basic right, and after ten years you’ve lost.  Or, maybe you win.  But after a decade, what’s your record company gonna look like anyway?  In the past decade, labels have already devolved into a shadow of their former selves.  In another ten years?

The only hope is legitimate services.  Spotify. Rdio.  MOG.  Rhapsody.  They’ve all got mobile apps.  Which include songs that live on the handset.  If you don’t think people will go for this, you don’t know how to sell.  Apps are flying out of the iTunes Store.  Key element?  Make ’em cheap and sell ’em to everybody!

In the future will recorded music generate as much revenue as it did prior to Napster?

That’s questionable.  But you don’t succeed by watching your old business model fade while you quibble and never enable a replacement.

Computer margins are lower than ever before.  Do Dell, Acer and HP try to convince consumers that computers contain decades of research and should cost $10,000 apiece?  No, they blow them out at near cost to everybody, that’s the business model, that’s reality.

The money’s in getting everyone to subscribe.

Sure, bake the cost into an ISP or mobile carrier fee.  Sounds good to me.

But let’s be practical.  Fighting an unwinnable war is just laughable.

Dear BOB,

The response to the industry’s campaign on music piracy last month (below) has been remarkable – nearly 14,000 messages to Congress have already been sent!  The feedback and interest among our community has been overwhelming.   Together, I am confident Congress will hear our call — but we need to be louder still.    

If you have not yet sent an e-mail to Congress via this link (http://bit.ly/bJSaA8), please do.  It only takes a moment and will make a difference.  

If you have already sent an e-mail to your members of Congress – thank you.  Please consider making an even bigger impact by asking your friends, family and colleagues to join us.  You can easily forward the e-mail by clicking here (http://bit.ly/auPSI3).

I’ll be in touch in the weeks ahead to update you on Congressional activity and other opportunities to get involved in protecting and defending the industry and art form that we all love.  In the meantime, be sure to join our Facebook community on www.musicrightsnow.org for news and information of interest.

Sincerely,? Jim Urie? Learn More at www.musicrightsnow.org

________________

****I’ve received hundreds of e-mails enthusiastically reacting to my "call to action" at the National Association of Recording Merchandisers convention last month.  The music business is facing huge challenges from piracy and theft. Never before in American history has an entire industry been so decimated by illegal behavior. Yet the government has not responded in a meaningful way to help us address this crisis.  My call to action is for all of us to become more aggressive in lobbying our government, more outspoken in drawing attention to the problems caused by piracy and more actively engaged.  We cannot win this fight alone.

Governments outside the U.S. are legislating, regulating and playing a prominent role in discussions with ISPs (Internet Service Providers).  Sales have dramatically improved in these countries.  How is it that the U.S. – with the most successful music community in the world – is not keeping up with places like South Korea, France, the UK and New Zealand?

As I said in my speech, I hope that the industry can negotiate a voluntary deal with the ISPs. We need our government representatives to encourage this.  But whether or not we reach a deal with the ISPs, our government needs to know that we’ve got a piracy problem and we need real solutions.  To accomplish this, our government needs to hear from all of us, so they know that their constituents are out here.  Join me in calling on our elected officials to fight piracy.  Please help by forwarding this email to your colleagues, friends – everyone who loves music.  And consider enlisting your entire company to help in this fight.  Then by clicking on the link below a message will be sent to your representatives in Washington.  Help us launch a viral campaign to cut off access to the online sites that are used to steal our music, our property and our jobs.  It only takes a second but it can make a tremendous impact.

Click HERE (http://bit.ly/bK6J6J).

Please help us by forwarding this link.

Sincerely, Jim Urie Learn More at www.musicrightsnow.org