I fought the law…
So, I’m sitting here waiting to see if I’m lucky enough for the BPI to target me as an evil uber downloader. On recent form, frankly they wouldn’t have a case (about 10 dodgy downloads in the last year), but errr…let’s just say I’ve got a fair bit of previous.
However, my defence is ready. It goes something like:
Three or four years ago, I had pretty much given up buying anything new except the odd DJ mix. Why? Because I went to clubs and bars, but listened to Radio 4 and watched exactly the TV I wanted through TiVo (even then). In other words, no music radio, no Top of the Pops. I also found most of the music mags on the market either juvenile or too, too worthy and dull. My radar started and stopped with the Guardian’s Friday review.
So, I had cut myself out of the usual promotional loop for new music. The route that the industry has built up over the last few decades.
If I went to HMV and bought a load of stuff that took my fancy, more often than not I’d hate it, because I had no idea what I was buying.
Then came two things: Audiogalaxy (in its glory days), and Uncut magazine’s covermount CDs.
Over a period of about six months, I discovered a whole world of music that I’d basically never have found. Most of what I downloaded has since been lost and deleted, but I’ve probably bought more CDs in the last 12 months than at any time in my life. And I have the Amazon invoices to prove it!!! And I’m still going.
Admittedly, these days, I prefer Word’s covermounts (when they can afford them) to Uncut’s. And I prefer the odd (normally legal) track from an MP3 blog, to the spyware horrors of KaZaA. But the principle remains.
So, had the industry managed to do away with covermounts and downloads (its two current bete noirs) then, they’d have made a lot less money out of me - and, I suggest people like me.
Not sure if it’ll stand up in court…but I rest my case.