Honor Among Thieves

I attended the NAB convention again this year. NAB is the second biggest convention in the world. A place for artists in many industries (and economic situations) to congregate and work toward their goals. I always love meeting with people from around the world who are working in the music industry. At the production music association meeting, I heard an incredible speech given by David Israelson, NMPA president, on how piracy is affecting the economy and the arts in particular. It has given me a lot to think about.

For some reason it has become trendy to steal music, video, photography and other art because it is considered fighting against “the man.” Sticking it to the huge record labels etc. when in fact it is the songwriters, musicians and other artists who are suffering and not making enough money to support a family. The arts and entertainment industries are being ravaged. If this market continues to be inundated by theft- there will be no market.

When a big artist or company complains about piracy and theft of music and visual media, the general reaction is “who cares? They are so rich it doesn’t matter.” Well here is the thing. If you personally have illegally downloaded a song, video, photography or other art related intellectual property- you have affected my ability to make a living in a very real and tangible way. If you burn CDs of music to hand out as Christmas gifts, you have also robbed every composer, musician, and artist I work with. If you steal from our market- it affects all of us. If I stole auto parts from big car companies on a regular basis, it would affect the livelihood of their entire workforce. This may sound dramatic but it’s a serious situation. I’m not out living out on the street. I’m not starving but when a songwriter who wrote a famous song you listen to some big name artist sing everyday can’t afford to feed their family, there is a problem.

An artist is bigger than their size in the economy. When we don’t get paid for our creation it trickles down to affect composers, musicians, designers, engineers etc. in the labor force. Our work may come into your homes, cars, and computers on a daily basis but that doesn’t mean it belongs to you. Downloading a song from Itunes doesn’t mean you “own it.” You own a license to listen to the song. You get to appreciate the work of an artist and have it influence your life, hopefully for the better.

A Kid Rock video “Steal everything” on youtube mentions that oil companies make billions but if you told your friends and neighbors that you regularly drive away from the gas pump in order to teach them a lesson, you would be seen as a degenerate.

We’ve lost an entire generation to a sense of entitlement and a lack of appreciation for the arts. We don’t teach art, music, creative or visual thinking in schools anymore. Kids have been taught that they shouldn’t have to pay for art or music anymore. Outright theft is now seen as some sort of unalienable freedom to possess the work of someone else. How will this next generation understand the perceived difference between stealing intellectual property and taking whatever they want? Why do we treat intellectual property as a different entity in the first place? Why are we undervaluing a third of our economic property? How will the arts even continue under such attack?

I don’t think the country realizes what a problem this is. This is seen as an issuefor musicians to deal with or adapt to. It is so much bigger than that.

If any other American industry were under this level of attack, there would be a massive government reaction and public outcry. Unfortunately, intellectual property is seen differently than other property rights. I think we all have a responsibility to examine our own morals and take a hard look at what we are saying to the next generation.