GO CANUCKS!!!! Those crazy Canadian bas****s, eh? Well, I'm behind them all the way and sending my donation right now.

This is a positive thing. The ARTISTS, not just the consumer complaining about DRM and labels suing sharers is a GREAT thing. The labels claim their actions are in the interests of the artist...

O CANADA! :)

I'm not denying it's a good thing, I just don't think it's as altruistic as folks make it seem, or that it's going to have any impact, whatsoever, outside of increasing CD sales...

...and post counts.

It is obvious that the readers of this site are technically interested people, who don't have the slightest idea what it is to be an artist. So why do you open your mouths, anyway?

These are the first artists who at least pronounce their own ideas - and not just shut up.

"When you make music, you want people to listen to it wherever."

THAT IS IT !

The artists are not those who make the DEALS. And all you technical staff guys: would YOU STAND UP for YOUR ideas and possibly LOOSE YOUR INCOME?

Most REALLY gifted creational humans do NOT have any gift for business. Have a look at the art and musical history.

And, by the way, it wouldn't harm your brain muscle to just REALIZE - you know, reality, truth and that kind of stuff - and try to inform yourselves and afterwards ask yourself some questions that are usually posted when trying to evaluate and judge phenomenons: who is speaking? About what is he speaking? What does he-she say? And so on . . .

roflmao!!

"would YOU STAND UP for YOUR ideas and possibly LOOSE YOUR INCOME?"

Like *any* of these bands stand to lose a dime.

"who is speaking? About what is he speaking? What does he-she say? And so on . . ."

Also try to understand that what they say, and what they mean may be entirely different based on the reasoning behind it, and the goals of the indivuduals\groups speaking.

Just becasue they said one thing doesn't mean they're not betting on the other.

"When you make music, you want people to listen to it wherever."

This does describe a lot of artists feelings,

a lot of artists are NOT in it JUST to make money,

they enjoy making music and they enjoy people listening to their music.

Yes I would

Many people have died for what their believe is RIGHT

How would you feel if you made music, want people to hear it - licence your music to some label - then that label (with out consulting you) adds DRM which gets in the way of people hearing your music.

I will happily GIVE money to these artists (some of which Ive never heard of) because I totally agree that the labels are wrong.

To whom exactly are they complaining?

Example:
I think its great that Sarah Maclachlan is complaining, but her CDs were among the first encoded to prevent copying!

If they want to make a difference, perhaps they should begin by negotiating contracts whereby they prevent their material from being encoded! And then worry about what the proverbial "they" are doing!

Wait, what am I saying!? That would come dangerously close to making sense and thus violate one of the fundamental laws of the universe! Nevermind! Let the "I am a victim" mentality rule!

Judging from the first line of the article, I would say they are complaining to the record labels.

You Might think that!

But the article also says the group "The Coalition is looking to repeal provisions of the Copyright Act that make it illegal share songs for non-commercial purposes. In addition, the group opposes any changes to the law that would make it easier for the record companies to sue."

It mentions NOTHING about their 'demanding' that the record companies to stop using DRM/copyguard on their releases, thus preventing people from make copies of the CDs!
But wait!: "Digital rights management is also a focus of the group's lobbying. They claim that MOST artists do not support DRM".
I guess Pearl Jam is not among this group! Funny, Sarah is rather weak here. Nice they mention this in passing. Well, for some anyway... And so much for it being a pivotal demand!!! "Wow man, yeah right , like somebody should do something about that too man!"

Sarah can of course lament that the record companies are sueing others for downloading and sharing material, but as her's are (and were one of the first catalogs to be) copyguarded and copies for personal use or for sharing cannot be made in the first place, not to mention that you had to join her Nettwerk site to simply order her materials until about a month ago, this all seems a bit symbolic, especially as they are NOT complaining very loudly about DRM/copyguard being placed on their own CD releases!!! But its nice to mention this as a passing concern...

But they are NOT complaining of this fundamental limitation in a substantial manner. At least in the old days folks would simply release filler or delay when they were oblidged to fill contracts with which they disagreed.

The bottom line: The artists have it within their power to demand the record companies not encode their material releases with DRM/copyguard. If the record company refuses, the artists are of course free to shop their contract to other 'more ethical' record companies! They are also free to negotiate a no sue clause for their material that is shared P2P. How about they simply begin by demanding some control over their own material before simply complaining about all of the 'theys' out there suing the 'thems' over 'others' material.

It is indeed nice to hear of them complaining AFTER they sign their contracts (as if DRM is a new thing!) But it would be even nicer to see them make these demands prior to signing their contracts and collecting the money. After all, I am assuming that the principal IS the main thing after all? Isn't it???

"Buy our album because we hate DRM"

No.

The there are several significant differences between our countries (and our populaces) that preclude your statement:

1) We didn't pass DMCA to begin with and thus have no impetus to support DRM

2) Our people are willing to fight for what they want from their government instead of sitting on their collective asses

3) Our government isn't wholly controlled by special interest lobbies with deep pockets

4) Our artists aren't willing to stand by and get a raw deal from the pimps who are supposed to represent them. That's why they pulled out of the Canadian chapter of the American-based RIAA several weeks ago (this was of course before this new anouncement but it's obvious that it was planned from then).

No, this is the real deal by real people.

"No, this is the real deal by real people."

...that will have Zero affect on the situation here...hence the publicity stunt comment.

What could they possibly hope to accomplish regarding current US policy? Nothing.

They're interested in selling more CDs.

I couldn't care less what happens there. Your problems are your own and of your own creation.

Clean them up yourself - we have.

Ya know...

You really are a pompous ass.

You post here supposedly arguing for the groups intentions, when, in actuallity, all you are doing is trolling.

So proud of your governments ability to tax the innocent *and* the guilty to appease the CRIA/RIAA? Nice...

Real nice.

So proud of your big business government sanctioned thugs who extort the dead, those who have never owned a computer in their life and small children without respect for privacy, are you?

Land of the free and home of the brave indeed - your Founding Fathers would sneer at what you have allowed to happen to yourselves.

Not only do you spout the party line rhetoric other countries have come to expect from the self-styled champions of the individual (who coincidentally can't take care of those individuals inside theor own society) but you can't even recognise the results of your own apathy as they purposefully take those freedoms from you with every new Bill you allow to slink through your political process.

You deserve what has befallen you.

You have far more to worry about than those levies you refer to - psysician heal thyself.

And by the way, know what you speak of before opening your mouth: here we have no guilty in that regard. The "guilty" you refer to is a condition that is a product of your own recoding company-sponsored "legislation", as well as those countries convinced to follow that bandwagon.

But hey, you have to live with the foolishness. That's punishment enough and that says it all.

I don't really care what happens in the US either man. The US is not the whole world. Sometimes news about other countries pops up. :P

You're right that they're interested in selling more CDs, but as someone that's never bought a CD in my entire life, downloading and listening to music free first is about the only way you're gonna snag me.

Ooh, Code Monkey! =D
http://www.jonathancoult...ingaweek/CodeMonkey.mp3

Oh, not worrying about your levies. Trust me.

Just joing the game...since we're pointing out one-another's country's flaws, instead of actually discussing the topic.

Troll.

"Our artists aren't willing to stand by and get a raw deal from the pimps who are supposed to represent them. That's why they pulled out of the Canadian chapter of the American-based RIAA several weeks ago"

Wow! This should have the RIAA shaking in their collective boots!

Unfortunately they haven't done squat to effect their material being released with DRM/copyguard by the record companies who 'pimp' their wares!

I don't see any of these folks foregoing those 'dastardly pimps' for alternative distribution channels where they have more control over their product! All I see is a group standing up and shouting akin to students at a high school student government rally. Very Symbolic, but ultimately without much substance!

Yeah, right, power to the people!....

Bravo. At least it's a step in the right direction. Those are some pretty well known names too. Might not change anything, but certainly can't hurt.

Sure it can.

Since the Artists are fighting for it, we can all stop writing our senators and congresscritters, right? I mean, it's gonna be fixed now, right?

See? People will think it's being dealt with, when in fact, this is simply a publicity stunt.

"Buy our album because we hate DRM"

...indeed.

How about "share our album because we hate DRM".

These artists are saying it's ok to download their music right?

heh

Nailed it.

Given Sarah McLachlan was with Nettwerk until recently (I believe); and Nettwerk was quite happy with another signed artist (Delerium) posting their MP3s on their own website....

...yes, that could very well be what they are saying.

Finally! Artists are realizing that the RIAA and MPAA are having a very detrimental effect on music as a whole (not just the $$$).

I just hope more artists realize that thier fans are becomming jaded because of the Gestapo like tactics used by the RIAA & MPAA.

I (for one) and everyone I know, doesn't buy CDs anymore because of the way the MPAA and RIAA are irrationally suing fans. Suing is not the solution. Duh!

Not to be a pessimist...but what are they going to do about it? The consumers in the US have been fighting this since it came out. I really don't think a few bands from canada saying, "boo!" is going to change anything.

Hell, I don't even think it'll kick off a grassroots movement to change policy here in the US.

I mean, sure...*we* care. But businesses don't. And lately, they make the laws, not the government.

Ha, ha ..... take THAT RIAA & MPAA

Take what, exactly?

What have they done to bring down RIAA?

It'll take a hell of a lot more than a few upstart bands in another country to make the RIAA flinch.

I doubt they've even noticed...

@PC-Tool
OK then tell us what YOU did about it !!??

This is nothing new actually, a bunch of bands in the US have been saying this for years....And of course it never accomplished anything here either. Yea, these bands might be big....but the record companies are still their bosses, and its hard to change a bosses mind.

You mean aside from voting and writing my congresscritters?

Just because you do nothing but wait for some lame bands to pull a publicity stunt (which is all this amounts to), doesn't mean the rest of us are sitting idly by while our rights are taken from us.

Except this is Canada, so it'll go through.

We aren't ruled by the corporations - at least not totally. :P

Actually, you are. When it counts.
Not enough downloaders to worry about in the 'Annoying Upstairs Neighbor".

When DirecTV had a piracy problem, the people of Canada had nary a chance of stopping new laws and their favorable treatment in your courts.

If piracy became an issue regarding Canada, you can bet your politicians would roll over like the good pets they have been proven to be.

PC_Tool

you know all that writing was a waste of time. you know your letters no matter how serious,most likely never reached your congressmens desk. it prolly got tossed in the trash or shredded cuz there was no $$$$ attached that letter. politicians are freakin crooks. all they are interested in is the hands that feed them. (not your cuz your pockets aren't that deep.) if this wasn't the case we would all be drivin cars that ran on fuel cells or hydrogen right now.

As far as a publicity stunt. i dont see that. How is stating that they don't like what the riaa is doing and how they think digital rights management sucks a publicity stunt cuz i am still not going to buy these bands music, anyways bands make a huge majority of there money off of tours not cds

1.) Just because they don't listen to me does not mean I'm going to stop screaming.

Remember this?

""First they came for the Jews.
But I didn't speak up because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the communists.
But I didn't speak up because I was not a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists.
But I didn't speak up because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Catholics.
But I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me.
And by that time no one was left to speak up."

(Pastor Martin Niemoller)

The second we stop complaining about it, we become the opressors.

2.) You're not the only one out there, and they are popular bands. They're CD sales will rise because of this.