Magnetic Poles
New Member
James,
You are confusing paying for the CD with a license to broadcast or publicly perform it.
I too have worked in radio (management and on-air), and can tell you that several times a year, stations must keep logs for BMI to show what songs are being played. Your anecdotal and peripheral exposure is incomplete, else you would know the difference. I don't doubt that there are illegal things that occur from time to time, but the fact remains, if you download P2P music, you are breaking the law and stealing.
Nowadays, much music does come from corporate, but that doesn't mean the station didn't pay. If a station were to go out on a P2P, like the old KaZaA or Napster, and grab music, that too is illegal. No responsible station owner would risk it.
I also remember when music was on vinyl and suffered "queue burns" at the start from queueing the record up. The station would buy another copy retail if a promo version was not available, but I question the legality of doing so. As a practical matter, yes it happens. Still, much different than downloading someone's work and not paying. At least when the station buys a CD, money goes to the artist.
And again, even if someone else is stealing, does that make it right?
You are confusing paying for the CD with a license to broadcast or publicly perform it.
I too have worked in radio (management and on-air), and can tell you that several times a year, stations must keep logs for BMI to show what songs are being played. Your anecdotal and peripheral exposure is incomplete, else you would know the difference. I don't doubt that there are illegal things that occur from time to time, but the fact remains, if you download P2P music, you are breaking the law and stealing.
Nowadays, much music does come from corporate, but that doesn't mean the station didn't pay. If a station were to go out on a P2P, like the old KaZaA or Napster, and grab music, that too is illegal. No responsible station owner would risk it.
I also remember when music was on vinyl and suffered "queue burns" at the start from queueing the record up. The station would buy another copy retail if a promo version was not available, but I question the legality of doing so. As a practical matter, yes it happens. Still, much different than downloading someone's work and not paying. At least when the station buys a CD, money goes to the artist.
And again, even if someone else is stealing, does that make it right?