The RIAA Begs To Differ
In my time here at Idolator, I’ve written some unkind things about the RIAA, and some items have probably been slightly more fair (saying I believed the group does “more harm than good”) than others (implying the organization is made up of “a bunch of soulless creeps”). Still, it’s good to get the other side of the story, right?
I’ve claimed that the RIAA is a danger to the future of the music business, and New Yorker music critic Sasha Frere-Jones has wondered if anyone could name three good things the organization has done. And we’re not alone. So I thought it might be worth a moment to ask Jonathan Lamy, senior vice president of communications for the organization (and to his credit, a really helpful and nice guy), what they actually do over there that doesn’t involve the whole suing grandmothers thing (again, that’s probably not fair). Here’s a summary of what he came up with, presented without snarky retorts:
1. The RIAA fights for the freedom of speech of artists.
When legislators try to limit the free speech rights of musicians, the RIAA lobbies on the behalf of preserving free expression.
3. The Gold and Platinum program which has allowed for a tangible expression of commercial success.
4. The RIAA negotiates for the industry allowing for “new business models and licensing systems”, including the birth of subscription systems and the recent interactive streaming deal.
5. The RIAA has set technical standards for the music industry including “the LP album standards, CD standards, SACD and DVD-Audio standards, elimination of CD longbox for environmental reasons, and most recently, DDEX standard for electronic exchange of data to make it easier to track transactions and calculate royalties for billions of online transactions.”
6. Advocating and negotiating royalty payment standards. This includes the recent attempt to secure royalty payments for the performing artist from terrestrial radio stations, something that the United States is the exception for.
7. Something you’re probably already aware of, but the crackdown on illegal filesharing websites and services, including litigation in MGM vs. Grokster. As Mr. Lamy puts it, “Absent expensive, high profile industry campaigns, think of how the legal marketplace would be struggling to gain the traction it has and the fact that there would be hundreds of similar illegal sites.”
8. Working to expand access to works for which the copyright holder cannot be located.
9. Working to get pirated copies of discs off the street.
10. Philanthropic work, including helping to raise millions of dollars for charities such as Music Cares, working with the National Endowment for the Arts on the “Songs of the Century” project and developing curriculum for schools on the value of intellectual property.
There you have it, the top ten things the RIAA has done for music. I feel like I’ve added enough commentary for now regarding my own feelings about the organization, but does this list affect your perception at all?
Recording Industry Association of America [Official site]
