MC Hammer, Hammers Industrie’s 3 Strikes Plans

MC Hammer, rap phenomenon and self-confessed geek, has kicked the major music labels in their over-sized pants with regard to their anti-piracy strategy. Hammer said that the labels’ decision to go after individual filesharers and ISPs has failed, because it only alienated paying customers.

hammerThere is a great divide between artists on how music piracy should be addressed. On the one hand there are the Lily Allens who believe that tough anti-piracy legislation will increase their profits, while others including Radiohead and Moby think that the RIAA and other lobbyists should stay away from their fans.

The latter group has not been very successful in convincing the big labels to change their anti-piracy strategies, but when MC Hammer says STOP they will have to listen.

In a recent interview Hammer commented on the industry’s struggle with piracy and the future of music in the digital age. In Hammer’s view, the RIAA’s legal battles against file-sharers have only alienated buying customers. ”The approach that the music industry took to fight piracy was the wrong strategy,” he said.

Aside from going after individuals, the entertainment industries have also targeted ISPs, for enabling their customers to pirate. The most prominent case at the moment is that of AFACT against iiNet, where the anti-piracy group wants the Aussie ISP to disconnect repeat infringers.

Using a murder and gun analogy to appeal to his fellow rappers, Hammer argues that AFACT is going after the wrong party by targeting the ISP.

”When there is a murder done with the gun, do they go back to the guy who sold the gun at the store and arrest him? No they don’t. They arrest the person who did it. So in this particular case, somebody is stealing content using the freeway. You can’t go back and sue the construction men,” Hammer said.

In addition to calling for a stop to the legal battles, Hammer thinks the music labels should focus more on digital content instead of trying to sell plastic to a generation of people that have never even owned a standalone CD player.

Ironically youtube has blocked the song on the request of the right’s holders, but one guy found a ‘workaround’

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b9nptjUs9FM

Under current copyright laws Hammer won’t get the rights to his own song/s for at least another 30-50 years.

If you still want to see the actual video + hear the actual audio, there are a few copies on YT as long as you play by the right holders rules… all this fuss for a song and video thats 20 years old! Anybody want to join me in shouting ‘Insane Copyright?’

Original article and discussion: TF

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