Beastie Boys remove MP3 tracks from their site. You see, MP3 tracks can be duplicated and sent out. And unlike those crappy cassette tapes you might have made of your favorite CD, MP3 tracks maintain CD quality sound after duplication. The Recording Industry Association of America has announced plans for its own web-based project called the Secure Digital Music Initiative. It allows for downloads of music from a secure site that will decrease the possibility of piracy with password protection and other safety measures. Record industry executives are quick to point out that most of the MP3 files available are illegally made, depriving artists of their royalties. That's true, and no one is going to deny that piracy is an issue. But the Recording Industry Association of America's campaign to eliminate the technology smacks of selfishness: The record industry worries about losing its power. "Success comes from the fans first. If someone is going to pirate something of mine, I just have to make sure to do nine or ten new things," Chuck D told Wired. Chuck D's act of defiance will eventually be seen as mighty as the Boston Tea Party, and this is what scares the music industry most. It's the redistribution of wealth for indie labels and artists. "Soon you'll see a marketplace with 500,000 independent labels. The majors can co-opt all they want, but it's not going to stop the average person from getting into the game," Chuck D said. Mike Diamond, vocalist of the Beastie Boys and co-owner of Grand Royal Records, told the magazine Red Herring that the old artist-label relationship, with the artist receiving a small piece of the pie, is dying. "Now, with this new technology, we'll probably see a lot more relationships where artists own everything and the labels are just fulfillment partners," Diamond said. Like Chuck D, Diamond is also less worried about the piracy issue. "I don't think it's impeded us from selling records," he told Red Herring. ...
