Internet greatest marketing tool
by Brian Wainstein, Editor-In-Chief

   The music industry hates us; it is official.
   Recently, the Recording Industry Association of America sued more than 200 individuals for downloading music off the Internet instead of buying the expensive CDs.
  Two hundred people who couldn't shell out the money for CDs were sued. For money. Is there a point to this?
   The first person to settle a lawsuit with the RIAA, for $2,000, was a 12-year-old girl.
   Was she even old enough to be held legally responsible for her actions?
   The RIAA claims that Kazaa, Grokster and other peer-to-peer file-sharing services are to blame for low sales. I disagree.
   When I go out and buy a CD, it is only because I have heard the songs before and know I like them. I never listen to the radio; I only listen to CDs. The only way for me to be exposed to new music is the Internet.
   I admit I have downloaded a fair amount of songs. I do not, however, use them for commercial purposes, but only for personal use, and I do not share them with others.
   Most of the music I download I like. Then, when I have the money, I go out and buy the CDs, supporting the musicians I listen to.
   Before Napster, I could count on one hand the number of CDs I owned.
   Most of my music collection was on cassette, recorded from friends who had recorded it from friends.
   As of now, my CD collection stands at around 100 disks. It is still a fledgling collection compared to that of most music lovers, but for an impoverished college student, pretty impressive (at least, I think so).
   One hundred CDs equates to roughly 1,500 songs. My mp3 collection is nowhere close to tha... not to mention that most of my mp3s are now becoming backups of the disks I already have.
   The Internet is the most powerful marketing tool out there right now. People from all over the world can log on and see an advertisement or music review.
   The industry should embrace this burgeoning technology and bring music lovers back into the fold, not create resentment the way it is now.
   Or companies can follow BGM's lead and charge less. BGM announced last week it would lower prices about $6.