The RIAA and the Fight for the Future of Music

The RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) is an integral part of the music industry, acting as support, promoter and protector for major labels of which their members create manufacture, and distribute almost 90% percent of officially recorded music and that is produced commercially here in the United States.

The RIAA also works to help protect many rights for labels and artists along with certifying Gold Platinum multi-Platinum and Diamond sales. They have been very active and instrumental in both the fight and education on music piracy. The RIAA instituted the lawsuit program which was aimed at educating consumers about the consequences of breaking the law and shine a light on the legal ways and sites there are to obtain music, rather then the peer 2 peer sites. While educating they also are responsible for sending out pre-litigation documents and copyright violation notices to inform illegal downloaders that they are breaking the law and may be subject to more serious consequences.

While piracy continues to be a problem for the music industry there is solid evidence that the steps taking by the RIAA has had a positive impact on the decline of these numbers and has breathed some life back into music sales and digital downloads, but this is not at all the wining of the battle. They continue to be at the forefront of the anti piracy fight monitoring ISP’s and going after illegal peer 2 peer file sharing sites and although the numbers are staggering when it comes to the amount of money they music industry is loosing, their efforts have leveled and even started declining in regard to the comparison of illegal and legally downloaded music which I think is a great accomplishment within itself. There is no doubt that the RIAA is a great friend and fighting on the behalf of the music industry.