Ode to the R.I.A.A.

David Pogue, tech columnist at the New York Times, comments only indirectly on the arrest of DJ Drama.

DJ Drama, mixtape maker extraordinaire, was arrested when his office was raided. Obviously the R.I.A.A. is suing him for creating mixtapes. No matter that the whole concept of mixtapes is, more or less by definition, a win-win situation…

Mixtapes are, by definition, unregulated: DJs don’t get permission from record companies, and record companies have traditionally ignored and sometimes bankrolled mixtapes, reasoning that they serve as valuable promotional tools. And rappers have grown increasingly canny at using mixtapes to promote themselves.

Anyway, back to David Pogue: His reaction was a little Ode to the R.I.A.A., to the melody of the Y.M.C.A. by the Village People. Excerpt:

CD Sales have dropped every year, They’re not greedy- They’re just quaking with fear, Yes, indeedy- What if their end is near, And we download all our music? They’d all freak out at the R.I.A.A.- No plastic discs from the R.I.A.A.! What a way to make friends! It’s a plan that can’t fail: Haul your customers off to jail!

(Full lyrics, click here.)

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