In the wake of the RIAA's announcement that they intend on suing thousands of customers, EFF has posted a campaign in support of P2P music sharing and the striking of a new copyright bargain that will compensate artists without criminalizing millions of Internet users.
File-sharing has enabled music fans from around the world to build the largest library of recorded music in history. While this should be cause for celebration, large record labels have spent the last three years attacking peer-to-peer (P2P) technology and the people who use it. But neither user-empowering technologies nor consumers' desire for easy access to digital music are evil. Targeting technologists and users is not addressing the real problem.
The problem is that there is no adequate system in place that allows music lovers access to their favorite music while compensating artists and copyright holders. It's time to start addressing this problem head on. In the past, we've used a system called "compulsory licensing" to reconcile copyright law with the benefits of new technologies like cable television and webcasting. This approach has drawbacks, but it's certainly better than the direction that the recording industry is taking us today.
Many innovative payment models have been proposed (with or without a compulsory license), and we have highlighted some of them here. In addition, several artists and record labels are leading this effort, offering creative ways for their fans to get access to their music while rewarding the artists for their talents. A few of those artists and labels are highlighted here, as well.
