http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/music/3685277.stm

The world's top five music companies have agreed to pay $50m (£28m) in unclaimed royalties to artists including David Bowie and Dolly Parton.

"The recording companies have an obligation to perform adequate due diligence and maintain information about the artists to whom they owe this money," Mr Spitzer said. "What we found is that, quite simply, they were not doing it.

"Rather than perform the hard work and effort of tracking down the artists, they were letting these funds accumulate in their accounts."

We have here an industry that scapegoats and sues its most enthusiastic customers and doesn't bother to pay its own content producers. I think it's time that musicians and fans come together and eliminate this bureaucratic middleman that no longer serves a purpose. Technology will let it happen.

"I think it's time that musicians and fans come together and eliminate this bureaucratic middleman"

that's been going on for quite some time now. we like to stay cozily underground thank you very much.

actually, just the other day sarge asked what's wrong with a particular band going mainstream and i wasn't sure i could explain punk subculture to an outsider. DIY is a staple of the genre. when self-proclaimed members of the subculture venture into the mainstream and join up with big business record companies, it's like....i can't explain. it's like they left the genre altogether. the music usually changes when they are at the mercy of The Company and record sales, not doing it for the music anymore. it would be like if public television started selling advertising and puttin on programming to make money and please the advertisers instead of themselves and viewers. then we'd have the same trash on PBS as all the other money making channels.

What? do i hear people crying 'less than jake' in the background?

I hate this sort of thing..it just gets me.....arga... dammit its just so infuriating.
Its not their GODDAM money and they just dont bother giving it them? What is this?
Oh yeah, its.... stealing practically.

My favorite quote from that has to be:
"Rather than perform the hard work and effort of tracking down the artists, they were letting these funds accumulate in their accounts."

Harhar, I laugh many times.

Just think... even Bowie and Parton are owed royalties! Well I'm sure they won't miss them.

The trouble with all industries and especially the entertainment medias, is that they hold profits in higher esteem than the products and services they offer. The music industry would rather sell you ancient rock and soul, rather than hone new talent. The book publishers and film makers prefer authors to stick to tried and tested formulas and would rather sell you cloned novels and crappy, immature movies, rather than something more original and clever by Joe XYZ. TV is just laughable... radio just as bad.

And it's all lop sided... people at the top of the tree earn millions, even after they have so many that they don't know what to do with, while struggling artists may face a lifetime of bleak obscurity and a life of poverty. I think that once an artist has generated X millions in profits, that it should become common practise that a chunk of their future royalties is held back to hone and promote the new.

The same goes for corporate industries, whose sole intent seems to be to take over and monopolise the whole planet. I suggest that once again, after X billions of profits have tipped the scales, a special tax should be levied on them that would be spent on backing new industries and entrepeneurs with original ideas.

The thieves and shylocks would still be around of course, but that is human nature. At least some of the money that Is available, would filter down to people at the bottom of the tree and give everyone a chance. I call this concept corporate socialism.

Musicians make about 3 percent or less on every CD sold, they get sfafted many times by the record companies so whatever musicians are owed they should recieve it. Dolly and David made the music companies rich, the music companies didn't make Dolly and David rich for they have the talent to sing for a living wheras the music industry sucks the life out of the musicians.