Superstars blast file swapping
By Lisa M. Bowman

"Got unauthorized MP3s? Record labels are launching a multimillion-dollar public interest-style ad campaign to make sure you don't."

"On Thursday, a coalition of artists and labels will start running print, radio and TV ads featuring dozens of major recording stars who compare file swapping with stealing."

"The ads, reminiscent of the American Dairy Association's Got Milk or MTV's Rock the Vote campaigns, are designed to shame people out of illegally swapping music. They feature big-name artists such as Madonna, P. Diddy and Sting."

It seems clear to me that these superstars are clueless. I again point to this article.

THE INTERNET DEBACLE – AN ALTERNATIVE VIEW
By Janis Ian

"When I research an article, I normally send 30 or so emails to friends and acquaintances asking for opinions and anecdotes. I usually receive 10-20 in reply. But not so on this subject! I sent 36 emails requesting opinions and facts on free music downloading from the Net. I stated that I planned to adopt the viewpoint of devil's advocate: free Internet downloads are good for the music industry and its artists."

"I've received, to date, over 300 replies, every single one from someone legitimately 'in the music business.' What's more interesting than the emails are the phone calls. I don't know anyone at NARAS (home of the Grammy Awards), and I know Hilary Rosen (head of rhe Recording Industry Association of America, or RIAA) only vaguely. Yet within 24 hours of sending my original email, I'd received two messages from Rosen and four from NARAS requesting that I call to 'discuss the article.'"

Update: Janis Ian wrote a follow-up article.

FALLOUT – a follow up to The Internet Debacle

"Quite frankly, when I spent three months researching and writing The Internet debacle for Performing Songwriter Magazine, I wasn't planning to become part of a 'cause'. I assumed that some of the magazine’s 35,000 subscribers might read it, and a few might email me about it. I’d been writing articles for 'Perfsong' since its inception,and had never gotten more than a couple of emails in response to any of them. So I went into it blind."

"I had no idea that a scant month later, the article would be posted on over 1,000 sites, translated into nine languages, and have been featured on the BBC, in USA Today,and a host of other press."