Recording companies still cheat consumers

By Michael Pellicio

As college students, we have all been scolded for illegally downloading music at one time or another. We've even earned a label with a negative, yet hilarious, connotation attached to it: "Pirate."

In the eyes of the recording industry, specifically the Recording Industry Association of America, we "pirates" have pillaged and plundered their corporation, taking approximately $4 billion each year in buried MP3 treasure.

Somehow, I can't find it in me to spare one iota of compassion for the recording industry. I don't buy it for one second -- no pun intended.

While the RIAA claims to lose billions of dollars per year due to Internet piracy, I maintain that it's more of a penalty or tax for cheating their consumers.

In fact, the RIAA was already losing $250 million a year before the introduction of Napster (the P2P sharing program which prompted the "Bluebeard" metaphors).

They are losing sales now because they are greedy and charge too much, thereby sending many consumers packing for download city.

It's as simple as that.

And who can't argue that CDs are expensive? They cost significantly more in America than in Asia or Western Europe. The recording industry is overcharging the American public and the consumers finally did something that affected the industry: they found a way around buying CDs.

The overcharging resulted in two things: an across the board dip in sales (CDs, cassette tapes, vinyl, videocassette) and the creation of an irritated group of consumers looking for an alternative.

These consumers are the same ones that were told, in 1986, when CD prices began to skyrocket, that CDs cost so much because there was only one factory manufacturing them.

Once more factories were built, the CD prices were supposedly going to drop to the cassette-tape price (from $15-18 down to roughly $8).

Well, almost two decades later, more factories have been built, technology has been improved and production costs have decreased. But CD prices have not gone down.

Why, you ask? Because recording companies are in it for profit.

In fact, some recording artists support the illegal downloading of their music because they just want their work to be heard. The RIAA hasn't been too kind to them -- especially with the typical contract they offer. It's frightening.

The bottom line is that the RIAA spent nearly 15 years overcharging its consumers and becoming filthy rich in the process. Technology permitted the recording industry to inexpensively make CDs and expensively sell them.

Now, technology enables exploited consumers to save money. Consumers are illegally downloading music, without worry. Some even are using iTunes or Rhapsody, which are programs that allow them to buy songs for 99 cents each.

With the way things are going, it looks like the RIAA is losing their war on downloading; and, as a consumer, I couldn't care less.

*Michael Pellicio is a sophomore.