I read Trevor Fisher’s June 18 article, “You work for free and see how you like it,” over lunch at the Union and almost choked on my sandwich. I was amazed at how ill-informed Trevor is. Trevor fails to recognize several facts that have thrown the Recording Industry Association of America into a quandary.

The MP3 compression scheme has existed since the mid-1980s, and the first widely used software-based MP3 player was written in 1997. Napster followed two years later. The RIAA had plenty of time to try to block the MP3 revolution early on. It easily could have shut down Napster and any clones before they became widespread. Unfortunately for the RIAA, no action was taken until it was too late. A large group of music consumers were already hooked on MP3s.

The Federal Trade Commission and 28 states’ Attorneys General have stated that the RIAA has been fixing CD prices since 1996 when it introduced “minimum advertised pricing.” Average price per CD has increased from $12.50 to almost $15 since then. The RIAA insists that file sharing has forced them to raise prices due to lower demand, yet how could Napster have affected CD prices before it came into existence?

Ever since widespread file sharing services emerged, more and more music fans have developed a broader sense of musical taste. A larger availability of free music means more people can explore different musical styles without risking $15 per album. This has caused an even greater problem for the RIAA because it is becoming more difficult for the RIAA to sell generic music that appeals to everybody. I’m sure Trevor disagrees, but I would say that file sharing has created more real music fans, including me.

The MP3 genie is out of the bottle. The RIAA has failed to adapt to a new business model which embraces MP3 instead of trying to fight a losing battle. They need to seriously look at other ways for artists to make money before they lose their jobs.

Derek Kastner

Senior

Computer Science