2010-04-05 How Not To Support Your Musical Enemies

Recently I’ve been listening to a lot of *Sounds!* – a local radio show available as a podcast featuring new and indie music. It makes me want to buy CDs after not having bought much in years. I don’t want to give money to the idiots that will send lawyers after their own customers!

So what should I do if I want to get an album I like? The easiest solution is to get it from a friend. Here in Switzerland we have an exception to copyright law that says that copyright does not apply amongst the people you are close with such as family and friends. (“Verwendung zum Eigengebrauch”)

Verwendung zum Eigengebrauch

But other than that, I guess I should write an email to the band or publisher whenever I want to buy an album and ask whether they support the efforts of collecting societies, industry associations, and publishers to go after file sharers. If they are, I shouldn’t be buying from them. That’d be supporting the hand that hits you!

What I would prefer is going to the band’s homepage, download the album, and donate a few bucks via Paypal. Remember Radiohead and In Rainbows? That was cool.

In Rainbows

Having fixed Africa and AIDS, Bono tackles filesharing

2007 Study: filesharing increases CD sales

​#Music ​#Copyright