The Opinionated Diner

Peter McLennan has an interesting piece on the Major Flavours release on his blog and goes into the phenomena of mix tapes and piracy. I really don't know how I feel about this, as a copyright owner, but I do know that that majors are doing themselves no favours attacking it with a sledgehammer. There is so little sympathy for their position, they are perceived as greedy (they are, but that's what their shareholders require them to be), and music is seen as too expensive (rubbish- its cheaper now than it ever has been) and the Burn and Get Burnt campaign in NZ, plus the RIAA overkill in the US has won them no friends. Sadly, major record companies have been treating those whose good works they distribute as workers in servitude for too long and there is some rough justice in what has come about in recent years. A fine correction of sorts coming out of the opportunities and anarchy that the digital age offers. I firmly believe, that once a recording is recouped the ownership should be shared by all involved parties. Indeed, a year back I passed the rights to the Blam Blam Blam catalogue back to the group. It recouped all costs in the mid nineties (after which we divided income equally) and I felt it fair to pass it back in 2004. I'm not trying to blow my trumpet but it felt like the right thing to do... God, that was a ramble....