Gizmodo is proposing that everyone put their money where their mouths are, and boycott the RIAA during the month of March. They make an important point; we are in effect feeding them the money they need for their lawsuits. The power of the purse is no new idea, and can be an effective method to send a message, it is simply incumbent upon the parties affected to organize and assert their power.
This doesn’t mean you should necessarily start pirating everything. There are still legal ways of sticking it to the RIAA, as Gizmodo points out:
Firstly, I encourage everyone to purchase music from unsigned bands and bands on independent record labels. There are tons of great artists out there, many of which you’re probably already a fan of, that have nothing to do with the RIAA. Buy their records at eMusic, an online store that sells independent tunes in beautiful, DRM-free MP3 format.
Secondly, you can still support RIAA-signed bands without buying their music. Go see them live and buy their merchandise; they get a hell of a lot more money from that then they do from album sales. And hey, you could benefit from getting out more, couldn’t you?
If you are unsure whether or not an album is put out by an RIAA label, the handy RIAA Radar will clear everything up for you. They have both a search engine and a great bookmarklet, so be sure to get yourself hooked up.
Actions speak louder than words. It’s time we stand up and take action against the unethical and often illegal practices of both governmental and corporate entities that have, for too long, gone uncontested.
Originally posted on February 24, 2007 @ 12:21 am