Comments on: Facebook silences Project Playlist widgets

The legal complaints that earlier saw the social music site's widgets pulled from MySpace have now cut off its presence on Facebook, too.

[crezard]

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[lordmorgul]

This makes me very sad. In response, I'm going to link to Playlist Project excessively from my facebook account... widgets or not I'm sharing this LEGAL site with my friends. The RIAA disgusts me. If they want this content offline, they should go to the content HOSTING sites... the ones with the music files they believe infringe copyright.

In MANY cases the files being linked to by Playlist Project are legally posted demo files that have been broadcast, been posted online elsewhere, or are released as band demos. This is ridiculous and I'm very frustrated that Facebook caved in to the RIAA on this.

[Pete Bardo]

Next thing you know, RIAA will require royalty payments from home users who play MP3's for their guests. Visiting a person's Facebook page is akin to visiting that person's virtual home.

[Littlestbee]

Sadly, they already have in some respects...

[notgonnatellya]

While I don't like the heavy handed tactics of the Music industry, this is not like playing music for your friends at home.

This is you playing as a DJ at a Bar, and the bar has to have a license from BMI/Ascap.

The difference is that the site will likely have to pay the writers and the artists, while the Bar only pays the writer. With that said, AFAIK, in many (most?) countries, artists are paid when a song is played on the radio. In England, perhaps all of Europe, the only exception to that is artists from the U.S.

The reality is that we're getting hosed, because so many people steal music. If everyone was buying CD's (or crappy lossy audio files), instead of stealing them, then we'd probably get a moderated response, but when total sales constantly fall, it's pretty obvious that the industry needs to attempt to collect money any way they can (though not by suing customers with questionable evidence).

Personally, I think it'd make more sense to force Terestrial radio to pay the artists than to have Internet radio pay. Let's face it, FM rarely tells you who you're listening to, while internet stations generally provide a complete playlist (sometimes going back several days).

[Vurk]

What you may not know, and the RIAA isnt telling anyone, is that Internet distribution of songs *increases* CD sales.

The original Napster caused, according to officially released RIAA documents, a upsurge in CD sales because people heard one song they liked and went out and bought the CD.
Nowadays, people refuse to buy CD's on principle because of the RIAA's practices. It doesnt help however, that most music released through the RIAA member companies amount to computer-generated garbage or Disney-created teen-oriented bubblegum.

[Davross]

This is a legal issue but for one reason... money. Playing music for someone in your house is one thing and the RIAA doesn't care about that but making it available online where potentially thousands, millions of people, anywhere could be playing your music... well that's different. The prevailing thought seems to be why would you buy the cow if you can get the milk for free? In the eyes of the RIAA it's a legitimate argument, the ramifications for which could see them losing money if they don't litigate.

It irritates and angers the public but really what's the RIAA going to do? They're not protecting artists which is just the politically correct thing they have to say... they're protecting their bottom line. Because really who will buy the music CDs when they can go online and get them free from sites like this? The RIAA and music companies will continue to pursue sites like this in court because they can't figure out a way to do the same thing AND make money from it.

The sad reality is that they're fighting a losing battle because for every well known site they knock down or bend to their will with some subscription fee based plan, another two sites will appear. The RIAA might as well go after public libraries while they're at it too as people checkout CDs, take them home and rip them to their pc, no purchase and no sale. Oop! did I just let the barn door open with that? Libraries nationwide to be sued by the RIAA!

Perhaps one of the most stupid things they've done beyond this is to attack internet radio stations too. Yes, I know it goes back to their not making money from it all but my issue with all this is that they don't seem to be learning anything and they're doing even less. This isn't a problem that can be resolved with a million lawsuits and if they were truly smart they'd come to realize that. They'd find a way to do the same thing that so many people want and deliver it in a way that it makes them money. I did say if ...because I doubt they're truly that smart it's simpler and better to throw attorneys around in attempt to force people into paying for music if they want to hear it.

Listen up RIAA... that's just not going to work. It may seem successful as you're granted wins here and there but ultimately it's not going to work. Using fear tactics and lawsuits on the very people you need to make money off of? Completely bad business decision making but it's still not too late (or maybe it is but I like optimism) to change and figure out a new way of doing things. Then again, subpoena and sue away we'll see how far that gets ya.

[mpotter9]

The social networks are certainly showing a lot of guts when it comes to the RIAA nonsense .This is nothing more than the music industry trying to squeeze a few more millions (billions) out of a terribly weak product. Instead of flogging a dead horse the music industry should take a hint from their name and release some (or at least a little) quality music.

[btalex1990]

Ok people let me tell you why theres piracy and illegal downloading becoming more and more popular every year, because digital music is worthless, downloading isn't stealing because copying isn't taking, and digital music isn't worth sh*t, digital music is worthless because the RIAA doesn't have to pay for the jewel cases, not even the cds, you can't even sell your music, your stuck with digital stuff thats worth nothing.

The RIAA is the one thats greedy because they found a great way to make more money, even where music cds are cheaper then burned digital music bought on stupid napster. The RIAA is the ones ripping you off. They thought that it was great for them to tax us on digital goods while we get no value out of their content. NO VALUE!

When you pay hundreds for digital music (mp3 and wma) thinking ur not stealing, that ur supporting the artist, your really making them richer since they can easily produce music dirt cheap using Audacity and linux as a recording studio. The RIAA has taken value out of all our music, and you wonder why people pirate!

If the RIAA wants piracy to stop they better make it dirt cheap like 1 cent a song or 1 paso a song or put value into music again.