Music companies' practices sew seeds for failure
I deplore the Recording Industry Association of America and the four major record labels that it represents: Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG.
This collective has been accused of offenses ranging from price-fixing to stifling innovation. Its capital and access to federal legislation grants it unreasonable power in the music industry.
The RIAA doesn't support musicians or put much money in their pockets; it supports the record label executives and upper management.
Yes, a fraction of album sales makes it to the hard- working musician and music media-manufacturing workers.
However, none of the money the RIAA is making through its lawsuits is ending up with the musicians who had their intellectual property infringed on.
The process the RIAA uses is to intimidate people out of their money. The RIAA is also pushing to make it nearly impossible for people to connect to the Internet for free using public WiFi hotspots.
They believe that by restricting access to the Internet, the rate of piracy will decrease. Even music that people pay for on iTunes is very restrictive and goes beyond the copyright law denying paying customers fair use of the music they buy.
The RIAA also supports how the major record labels mistreat their artists. There are many instances of poor artist management and unfair retail tactics.
The RIAA is becoming obsolete. Nowadays, it is far easier for musicians to sell their music to their fans without the hassle of the RIAA and the record labels it represents.
Rene Herrera
SENIOR
Cheating speeding cameras costs lives
After reading Thursday's article "A photo you don't want taken" in The State Press, I've been convinced that it's okay to speed.
You know, just so long as I don't get caught.
And if I want to evade ticketing police officers and cameras on the Loop 101, I better go down the beaten path of picking up illegal materials to cover up my license plate, since, after all, breaking the law is worth my hard-earned and seldom-available college spending money.
Maybe I'm being too presumptuous. Maybe the authors, Si Robins and Amanda Fruzynski, are new to the state, or the world, and aren't aware of the thousands of untimely deaths which have resulted from or been affected in conjunction with speeding motorists every year.
Caranddriver.com cites that in 2002 speeding was related to one-third of highway deaths, and since the year 2000, the number of those speed-related deaths has continued to rise.
But ask anyone ever affected by the death of a person killed by a speeding motorist. Ask them if they just wish with all their hearts that there was a way for speeders everywhere to be able to continue speeding without any penalties or consequences for their actions.
I'm amazed that this article was even allowed to print. Next time, if you want to make a statement, try publishing a public service announcement about the risks of speeding (i.e. maiming a life) instead of condoning illicit driving behavior.
Aimee Vondrak
SOPHOMORE