Monday, March 23, 2009

Piracy: Why Robert Smith Doesn't Get It

An editorial by James Hall at Neowin. (Thanks Kate)
Posted by Craig at 5:27 AM

25 comments:

  1. Christian LeBlancMarch 23, 2009 at 6:24 AM

    Wow...there's like, one lone voice of reason in the comments section there...and he/she's just getting ripped apart :)

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  2. the Big GingeMarch 23, 2009 at 11:17 AM

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  3. the Big GingeMarch 23, 2009 at 11:27 AM

    who is this nobody?

    is there any point having any old blogged bollocks on COF?

    not being angry or critical - especially to Kate who makes me smile so much - but, I just don't get this.

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  4. KateMarch 23, 2009 at 11:28 AM

    Aw, thanks, Big Ginge!

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  5. Maniken PYS (LeChienNoir)March 23, 2009 at 11:29 AM

    That article's a bit dull.

    Robert did also say the price of downloaded music was way too high.

    (LeChienNoir)

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  6. the Big GingeMarch 23, 2009 at 11:51 AM

    pay no attention to me, I'm just in a poo mood.

    sour grapes on my part - I never get any of the old crap I send to Craig up.

    you're welcome Kate

    one day I'll get a 'Thanks Big Ginge'...

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  7. furreverMarch 23, 2009 at 11:57 AM

    Poor Rolith. He/she is amongst a room full of fools me thinks.

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  8. Christian LeBlancMarch 23, 2009 at 11:57 AM

    That was you in the comments section, Kate? Wow, you have the patience of many saints!

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  9. KateMarch 23, 2009 at 12:07 PM

    Christian - No, I wasn't the commenter. I was thanking Big Ginge for what was said about me.

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  10. Christian LeBlancMarch 23, 2009 at 1:04 PM

    Kate: Oh, ok (actually I was referring to the 2nd post in this thread...but maybe this thread reads in both directions and I'm getting confused ;P )

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  11. perfect.murderMarch 23, 2009 at 4:34 PM

    Kate strikes again!....love the style with which you're taking COF over!A lot of fun...Just back from the Rakes mini gig at Rough Trade(Brick Lane)...loved it,the new album out and they are back to their best(for those who know and love The Rakes..)

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  12. Robert but not THE RobertMarch 23, 2009 at 5:09 PM

    Well I have read some tripe in my time and that article was the second biggest pile of innards I've ever come across. At the time of reading it was the biggest. I was thinking, "Who is this jumped up little undergraduate with no idea how to construct an argument or take his musings in any particular direction" and how has anybody found this and thought it worthy of bringing to the attention of the good people at COF.

    Then I started to read the comments and realised that my recently discovered "most poorly constructed argument in history" was to be usurped by the idiots discussing it!

    Quite apart from proving that he thinks stealing is ok, I would personally prosicute him for rambling pointlessly - So he can look up two definitions of Pirate in a dictionary? I wonder which one RS refers to?

    For what its worth, there are alternative models being thought about. Aren't Nokia going to run a subscription service which allows you to download as much as you want for a fixed fee per month but you only get to keep it whilst you keep the subscription? The artists then get paid on the number of times their material is used. Not my idea of for buying music but a way out for the masses who just want to listen to the music of the day?

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  13. CarlosMarch 23, 2009 at 5:31 PM

    Robert but not the robert could have not said it more clearly:
    "RAMBLING POINTLESSLY - So he can look up two definitions of Pirate in a dictionary? I wonder which one RS refers to?"

    that was by far the most pointless article that i've ever seen, in the end he/she concluded that 'piracy' is in fact a crime! gee! i wouldn't have noticed if he/she hadn't pointed it out, and yeah, whats with looking up the difinition of 'piracy' when we ALL know that we are not talking about Jack Sparrow. useless..

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  14. HelsabotMarch 23, 2009 at 5:40 PM

    Is this person trying to make a correlation between "copyright infringement" and Somali Pirates? All while citing Wikipedia no less? Please. And I could be missing something here but, why are some people under the impression that Robert's in line with the RIAA?? Sigh. What a waste of time, that article. I want my 3 minutes back James Hall! There are a couple of comments below that that are worth reading, however.

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  15. CraigMarch 23, 2009 at 7:27 PM

    Just to be clear, I didn't post this because I agree with James. But I am interested in listening to all sides of the debate.

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  16. MareeMarch 23, 2009 at 9:43 PM

    Okay, this guy is coming unarmed to a battle of wits. I mean... meh. I understand the arguments he is so weakly trying to represent, but those have been presented far more intelligently by people like Cory Doctrow and Lawrence Lessig. Here is a documentary that covers that side of the fence.

    I don't think that Robert misses the point and the title was the first thing that tipped me off that this wasn't going to be an insightful read. I don't think that Robert's arguments and James Hall's arguments are in strong opposition in the first place. Culture cannot be annexed to corporations, end of story. I think that artists need to take control - The Cure included. Get in bed with corporations and you are going to get screwed.

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  17. AndrewV127March 23, 2009 at 10:04 PM

    I do agree with him on one thing though, The NIN distribution tactic of free/pay, is awesome.

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  18. UnknownMarch 24, 2009 at 4:34 AM

    Do you know about the story of Penelope Farmer who actually wrote Charlotte Sometimes? And the fact that Robert used her book to make the song...?

    You can read the story here: http://grannyp.blogspot.com/2007/06/cured.html

    When I read the story, I found it sad that Robert copied her book, never giving a thought about copyright...

    I'm curious to see how you will react to this...

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  19. CraigMarch 24, 2009 at 4:52 AM

    Actually, I have already posted that here. Way back on May 8th, 2008.

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  20. BTSMarch 24, 2009 at 8:38 AM

    Agreed. This piracy article is trash. The author does not coherently make a logical argument. I read over half of his argument and could not follow it. Poor writing, incomprehensible logic.

    I pay for music because I value the work and support the artist, not because it's the only way to obtain the art. Let's not use meandering logic to rationalize our guilty consciences.

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  21. PJWMarch 24, 2009 at 9:48 AM

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  22. PJWMarch 24, 2009 at 9:51 AM

    RobertBNTRR: I felt the same; the article was upstaged only by the rubbish being spouted in the comments.

    There is one that suggests Robert is a representative of the corporate music industry! Anyone who bothered to research their argument first would have known about his recent issues with TMU and how outspoken he is about them. They would also realise the reasons behind his understandably cynical opinions of the download industry after the "Hypnogogic States" debacle.

    But then seeing how quickly it decended into predictable, childish Robert bashing, I'm not surprised.

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  23. Robert but not THE RobertMarch 24, 2009 at 2:45 PM

    Thank you Carlos & PJW!

    Whilst blogs like COF provide a forum for like minded individuals, it would appear that one provided a forum for small minded ones! I am all for free speech and each to their own and that is a great benefit of the Internet. People are able to shre their "art" if they choose to but the flip side is that others get ripped off and there are a lot of people with strange ideas and keyboards to type with!

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  24. Dumb AnguishMarch 24, 2009 at 7:18 PM

    I really don't think Charlotte Sometimes was an attempt to take advantage of Penelope Farmer's book. I always thought it was more of a tribute kind of thing. I don't know.

    Though many of the phrases in the song are word for word. But its actually a pretty trippy book, with time travel and whatnot. And I never would have thought to track it down if it weren't for the song.

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  25. All I Wish Is Gone AwayMarch 27, 2009 at 6:19 AM

    honestly
    i've been involved in some media-busine$$$$$, like radio, lately and also some magazines, i really have noticed a big-strange-stupid-cinical feeling against The Cure, must people are idiots that have started to listen some "pose-bands" just becase evryone says theyr'e cool, and to be honest yes we talk about RadioHead in my opinion the actual-whore of the "alternative music" and for real everyone of us know that Robert doesn't like RH but everytime that he even says that name...uffff! everyone looks for ways to crucify him! theyr'e a bunch of stupids as i said, the only touch that they have had with the cure is when they google them to search for a point to attack, honestly is lame that they are the people we read or listen... The Cure is the biggest pain in the ASSSSSS for Universal part of all this feeling against The Cure comes from there... I will always rather to listen to this called fat-drunk-old fashioned-creepy "goth-boy" than the moment-whore (read any band like RH), that can comes and go

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