Copyright Trolls Steal All the Fun...

[MikeA]

The Eagles are not unique YET as being a band that gained popularity during a period in which record sales and radio play were EVERYTHING. While they definitely are not stupid, I think that their embracing of the technology of today has never occurred. In attitude, they seem to be still living in a world of record sales being their main income.

Obviously, that is not the case. They have all but acknowledged that it is their concert tours themselves that are making them rich and not the sales of CDs at Wal-Mart.

That is what surprises me about this "YouTube" thing. Seeing them on YouTube would seem to me a medium that would encourage the general population to part with hard earned cash to see them live. They have adversely embraced YouTube as a "friend" and instead made of it "The Enemy".

I'm sure their income from the CD sales, after paying for distribution and production isn't asparagus. Yet, even if YouTube hurt those sales (which I strongly DOUBT) it would more than make up for it in increased TICKET SALES if it were handled properly.

What if there were links on each YouTube vid made available that allowed the listener to link to and download a high quality MP3 for $.99 like most artists are now doing. Or download an entire album for $8 or $10 like many artists are doing. That would completely cut out production of the physical CD medium and also would virtually eliminate distribution.

I think they are missing the boat on this one. But they can afford to miss it in order to stand on a Principle concerning YouTube that walks hand in hand with the monopoly (practically speaking) of that FM Radio Corp (Clear Channel Radio?) that they have openly criticized.

[luvthelighthouse]

I think the issue is with copyright and ownership, not the quality of the YouTube clips.

I suppose... but I still do not agree/understand their point of view. Perhaps if Henley himself sat down and explained exactly why he feels the way he does, I "might" get it... but honestly, I'd try to sway his opinion.

[Freypower]

All I know is one of the reasons he founded the Recording Artists Coalition is because of his obsession with 'the right to own his own ideas' (Inside Job).

Some of his thoughts on this are here.

http://www.donhenleyonline.com/artic...WhitePaper.htm

And:

And as head of the Recording Artists Coalition, he has challenged the recording industry on a number of issues, particularly the disbursement of royalties and the question of who owns the rights to original recordings.

As Henley sees it, there's an industry tradition going back 60 years of shortchanging the artist. Ask him why the system has proliferated for so long and he gives you an earful.

"Because artists are artists," he says matter-of-factly. "Because artists don't have any business sense and because the lawyers who are supposed to be protecting the artists haven't really stood up to the labels."

Plus, Henley argues, the system is designed to take advantage of newer artists. "All a young kid wants to do is make a record and hear it on the radio and maybe get a little money and get some girls and get some popularity," he says. "They don't think about the long-term consequences. They don't think about the fine print in the contract. You can try and explain it to them and they still don't hear you . . . They just want to be in the game."

Of course, you could argue that Henley has chosen a bad time to pick a fight with the record companies, who have suffered declining sales in recent years and have struggled against the advent of online music downloading. But that's precisely the point.

"Get 'em when they're down," Henley says. "They certainly won't listen to us when times are good, they'll laugh and brush us aside. So this is actually the best time . . . They need our help to fight piracy. They need our help to fight a lot of things. We're saying, 'We'll help you if you treat us fairly.' " (Copied from DHO Palm Beach Post interview, 2003).

[Shadowland07]

well pretty sure my new account will be deleted in just a few days. i just received another warning and they took down my video of them playin Witchy Woman in Holland down.

[Stars]

The whole thing is so sad to me.

[MikeA]

It IS SAD. And I'm with Henley on the issue as to the way the Recording Industry has treated artists in the past, and maybe still do treat them. Most Artist are not "Business Men".

Henley isn't the only one who feels Artists have been screwed badly by the recording industry.

Look at what Clapton has done. Maybe Eric is more in tune and is doing as much in his own way as Henley is doing. Eric acknowledges the contributions, particularly of Black Artists who were swindled out of what was rightfully theirs by the Record Companies. Many of these musicians are even today living in poverty when they should have been rewarded with compensating royalties for their work. Clapton has helped many by touring with them using his "draw" to insure higher record sales and notoriety.

I am not criticizing Henley for this. I applaud him for it in fact! My criticism pertains to his methods. I simply think that he and the Agents of The Eagles and other groups possibly, are not embrassing the electronic media in a way that is best for the financial wellbeing of the group or Artists in General.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Well said, Mike - ITA!

[Shadowland07]

well Cass County took down my cover of Certain Kind of Fool

[Shadowland07]

i just don't get it, they should be proud that people are covering the Eagles. but no instead they decide to try to drive away their fans

[Shadowland07]

what songs do they own the rights to? knowing will help me prevent getting another one of my youtube accounts disabled