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Aimee Deep on Madster and Copyright
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posted by mpawlo
on Saturday May 31, @01:56AM
from the freedom-fighters dept.
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Madeleine Aimee Deep blogs the business of free music at Musicpundit, hosts strong views on copyright and thinks that the artists should have control over their own careers and own art. Still, she is known to most as the cover girl of Madster (formerly known as Aimster). Madster is the file-trading software providing a venue for trading files over instant-messaging networks through so-called 'buddy groups'. Aimee Deep has been involved with the Madster and Aimster business together with her father Johnny Deep for several years. Greplaw has picked Aimee Deep's brain.
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# Who is Aimee Deep?
I'm 18 and a Senior at Cohoes Public High School in Cohoes, New York. When I
graduate, I hope to start a publishing company so that I can - yes, you
heard right - make money from selling copyrighted art. And of course, I hope
to fall in love. Any takers?
I'm looking for Mr. (copy)Right.
# What happened to Madeleine?
Madeline Aimee Deep -- I was 15 when Aimster first came out. I may look
different, but I still feel the same on the inside.
# What is the Madster / Aimster law suit really about?
Personally, for me, it's about who controls the Internet - international
conglomerates with money and power, or the rest of us with creativity and
innovation -- and strong privacy.
# The oral arguments are due June 4th, why should Greplaw readers go to
Chicago to attend?
To get a kiss from me? And to see and hear a little piece of history in the
making. The Seventh Circuit is quite wonderful - Judges Posner, Easterbrook,
Flaum, Evans, the whole bench really, Ripple, Rovner, Mannion - and of
course, Diane Wood. You go, girl. These are stars whose fame lasts more than
15 minutes.
# How has the proceedings affected the development of Madster?
I think I'm better for it. I've learned a lot about the law, and how the
world works. And I've learned from my Dad that you never give up.
# How has the proceedings affected you personally?
Oh sorry, I thought you already asked that question. It is all about me, you
know.
# Right. When the EFF filed an amicus brief, you bursted out 'coolest thing ever!'
What is so great about this and why?
Uh, it's the EFF, for God's sake! They're only like the greatest, coolest
civil liberties group on the whole planet. Have you sent your check to them
lately?
# If a Greplaw reader wants to support you and your father's cause - what
should he or she do?
Donate to the EFF. Take me shopping. Speak up, stand up for your rights.
# I find Aimster interesting since it at the time piggy-backs on Instant
Messaging services in ways its creators did not think of or intend and
makes file-sharing very easy to "ordinary people" (non-geeks) in ways the
music business did not care much for, thus combining two worlds into
something new and exciting. That much said, do you think there is a moral
issue in respect of the piggy-backing or the file-sharing?
There is always a moral issue in every decision I make. But I try - very
hard - to make the least worst choice in an imperfect world.
# What do you want to achieve with Musicpundit?
I want to give a voice to artists. I want artists to know that they don't
have to sell their souls to Big Media, that a better day is coming. Artist
unbound.
# In your blog Musicpundit you give me the impression that you are not
entirely satisfied with the current copyright regime. What kind of changes
in current copyright law would you like to see?
I don't want any changes to copyright law. I only fear an encroaching
interpretation of copyright law that the framers never intended. I want the
protections of copyright law to apply to all of us equally, not just to a
few.
# You were not too impressed with Madonna's tactics (flooding peer-to-peer
networks with fake MP3s) when releasing her new album American Life. You
gave a formula for music sales:
'More file-sharing equals more sales
Less file-sharing equals less sales.
Oh, and insulting your fans with obscenities? That's just really bad
business.'
Do you really know that this is true? Should Madonna have released the
entire album as free MP3- and Ogg Vorbis-files at her homepage to obtain
revenues?
Yes, unequivocally, Madonna should have released much if not all of her
album for free. Like Radiohead just did. The formula can't be more simple or
more obvious. More filesharing equals more sales. Artist unbound.
And insulting your fans? Come on, that's just arrogant and self-destructive.
I've loved Madonna since I was about 6 years old, but hey, she deserves what
she got.
# What kind of other tactics do you think Madonna should use in the future
to boost revenues and to avoid insulting her fans?
Just look at what's already working for indie labels - some of the indie
labels are having great results, as are some indie studios. Indies have
never done this good. Merchandising. collateral products, cross-promotion.
guerilla marketing. BUT DON'T WASTE MILLIONS ON MARKETING STUPID. (Not you,
personally, Mr. Greplaw editor. You could use a little more marketing.
Greplaw on MTV.)
# Greplaw on MTV...that would really be someth... Uh, well, I get the impression that you want to improve conditions for artists. How
is Madster helping artists?
We had the coolest service ever for promoting new artists -- a buddy
recommendation service that was amazingly good at spotting new artists and
new art, months before Big Media had a clue. Of course, it's shut down now
by, guess who, Big Media. But we'll be back. Stay tuned.
# How can the situation for artists otherwise be improved?
Hey, the situation for artists has been very bleak for the last 50 years,
dominated by international conglomerates run by soul-less gangsters. It's
getting radically better now, because artists can finally have control over
their own careers and their own art. The golden age for artists has just
begun. Artist unbound.
# You have quoted Professor Lawrence Lessig at Musicpundit. Professor
Lessig is a huge pessimist when it comes to the future of copyright and the
Internet in terms of freedom for the public and a creative commons. If
Professor Lessig was a character in Winnie the Pooh it would definitely be
Eeyore. Do you share his dark view of the future?
I love the guy, what can I tell you. I get a little giddy around copyright guys in general .... Ok, I'm losing my composure ... Next question!
# And finally - I am sure you get a lot of attention from geeks and others
for your looks, but who is really the best looking
geeks-laws-and-everything-in-between-guy?
Oh, that would be you, cool geek greplaw editor hero.
# Now I am blushing.
Love you all. I am most grateful. Artist unbound.
Hope to see you in Chicago on June 4!
Aimee Deep was interviewed by Mikael Pawlo.
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Aimee Deep on Madster and Copyright
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The Fine Print:
The following comments are owned by whoever posted them.
We are not responsible for them in any way.
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by
Anonymous Coward
on Saturday May 31, @09:42PM (#694)
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Yeah...
Wait, it's not Slashdot.
Aww, who cares?
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[ Parent
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by
Anonymous Coward
on Saturday May 31, @09:55PM (#695)
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Shes was 15 when her asshole father decided to turn her into a slut to get publicity for his gay AIM file sharing addon. I didn't think it was that bad at the time because I thought she was 18+, but now i find out she was only 15 , how fucked up. someone arrest that sick fucker.
And not bashing her personally but, this interview sucked because she isn't really the right person to be talking about copyright. Shes just the model for the product, and her comments about EFF seem immature.. But its not her fault, shes only 18, and she lost out on her last teen years being a whore.
I feel bad for her
(and this will invalidate my above statements, but oh well: i'd hit it. aimee, will you marry me? Im mr right!)
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[ Parent
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Madeleine Aimee Deep blogs the business of free music at Musicpundit, hosts strong views on copyright and thinks that the artists should have control over their own careers and own art. Yeah, sure, music artists should be able to dictate their own careers and have control over their music, but that's usually impossible. Why?
Well, these artists typically start off with nothing and are nobodies until a rich corporation comes along and expresses an interest in a "synergistic" business alignment between the artist and the company in which both will benefit.
Therefore, artists are normally part of signed contracts which explicitly state that they do not have control of their music, of their merchandising, etc. A contract is a contract, and gaining riches from rags does not automatically nullify any contracts that were signed in order for such a success to take place.
I side with the record companies.
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[ Parent
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by
Anonymous Coward
on Saturday May 31, @10:42PM (#699)
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when aimster was free, it used to be quite awesome. the selection on music was huge, and even comparable to audiogalaxy. now it seems like they have gone downhill. i mean, look at the web site.
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[ Parent
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| - Re:asdf
by Anonymous Coward
Sunday June 01, @10:49AM
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by
Anonymous Coward
on Sunday June 01, @01:44AM (#705)
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Check this page, its a rant of former Aimster employer:
http://www.evanhoffman.com/aimster/
It will sure turn your view of whole thing upside down...
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[ Parent
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by
Anonymous Coward
on Sunday June 01, @11:55PM (#716)
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[ Parent
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Humanity has the stars in its future, and that future is too important to be
lost under the burden of juvenile folly and ignorant superstition.
- Isaac Asimov
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