An economy is a system designed to maximize the benefit garnered from resources that its component parts invest into it. And by the sounds of the decisions regarding the sale of four record companies' music, that benefit will for once be shared between music sellers and consumers.
As reported Monday by The New York Times, executives of four major music labels present at the international music industry trade show in Midem, France went on record saying their companies were considering the sale of their labels' music in unprotected, unrestricted MP3 format. These files could be e-mailed, copied, or (gasp!) even downloaded completely legally.
The executives cite the proposed model as both a PR move to give music more free exposure and compromise to the uncontrollable nature of the Internet.
Yet, the glimmer of full realization of the dream established by those first to ever log on to Napster cannot be seen as anything less than the ultimate victory of the majority over a system that increasingly placed ""other"" motives ahead of the needs and desires of the system's constituents.
The last decade has completely transformed the way music lovers use and manage their music. File sharing brought unheard of levels of access to those who sought new music.
The ""iPod revolution"" allowed people to carry whole libraries of music, reconfigured into daily soundtracks free from the filler associated with the garbage singles mainstream channels of music seemed to force down consumer throats.
After years of petty lawsuits and other roadblocks, the music industry threw in the way of the natural evolution of the music industry model, it is finally seeing the light. This could very well be a consumer equivalent to VJ Day. Obviously the move is less important on the world scale, but still momentous in its impact on popular culture.
But where can consumer disobedience carry its political thunder, now that one of its greatest battles in modern history is complete?
The ability of music lovers to unite and bring an archaic business model to its knees should say something about what can happen when consumers unite their behavior to use economic weight to achieve political outcomes. This is a fact that bodes well for grander and nobler battles ahead.
Imagine what will happen when united consumers refuse to give their business to Internet providers who disregard net neutrality in order to profit off a multi-tier Internet, or who boycott Wal-Mart for underpaying workers and foreign laborers. Perhaps more political change can come of the dollars of the populace than their actual votes can bring.
At any rate, even though it is a small victory on a small stage, this possibility should inspire all of us with hope. It is rare that something so material can feel like such a moral victory, and for that reason, anyone who has ever downloaded a song should take a second today to breathe in the sweet air of triumph.
