Declaration of Independents (Long)

[Veracohr]

[b]A DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENTS[/b] penned by [url=http://www.azoz.com]George Ziemann[/url] ____________________________________________________________________ To Congress, The unanimous Declaration of the undersigned representing the various states in the United States of America, as well as those from other countries around the world, When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Technology entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all songs are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are tempo, melody and the pursuit of an Audience. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. Such has been the patient sufferance of these Musicians and Songwriters; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present recording industry, in the person of the RIAA, is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over recorded music. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. The RIAA has displayed its lack of regard to Antitrust Laws, maybe not the most wholesome laws, but still necessary for the public good not to mention the economy. It has forbidden its musicans from posting mp3s of immediate and pressing importance to their fans, unless suspended in their operation till such Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, it has utterly neglected to attend to them. It has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large numbers of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. It has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with its measures. It has invaded the educational system infrastructure repeatedly, for opposing with firmness the RIAA invasions on the rights of the people. It has endeavoured to prevent the propagation of all music of the world to which it does not possess rights; for that purpose obstructing the Natural Development of Technology; and raising the conditions of Digital Rights to make them inaccessible to the common man. It has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing its Assent to Laws for establishing definitions of Fair Use. It has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and corrupt our data. It has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution and the intent of the copyright law, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving its Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation: For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Crimes which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States: For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: For imposing Taxes on Recordable Media without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury: For accusing our products of infringement, to be tried for pretended offences For abolishing the free Market System, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into the rest of the world: For taking away our copyrights, distorting our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments: For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. It has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. It has plundered our music, ravaged our careers, burnt our credit, and destroyed the lives of our people, who continuously tell us to "get a real job.". It is at this time paying large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of censorship, invasion of privacy and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized organization. It has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive by the A&R Reps to bear Lawsuits against their Fans, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. It has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless college students, whose known rule of warfare is an undistinguished destruction of all things which do not involve beer. In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. An organization whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our Contracted brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here to the digital world. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of the music business, Rivals in Commerce, in Peace Friends. We, therefore, the musicians of the World, in Digital Congress, unassembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Countries, solemnly publish and declare, That the Internet ought to be Free and Independent; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the RIAA, and that all political connection between them and the Recording Industry, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent Artists, they have full Power to distribute their own mp3s (or not), talk about Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent Businesses may of right do in their respective countries. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor. Signed, (as of May 22, 2003) George Ziemann Carl Hayden (Hayden's Wall) John Hayden (Hayden's Wall) Ian Wright (Hayden's Wall) Michael Wright (Hayden's Wall) Cara Hayden (Cara LaFemme) Michael T. Wright (The Facts) Deborah S. Staires, Ed.D. Gene Hilbert Chris Hattingh (Too Old to Rock) Jenn Hartmann Hank Tomlin Eric St. Cyr (Ignition) Kris Weston (aka Thrash) Rob Hinkal (ILYaimy) L.Y.F.E. Kids Robert A. Rich II (Empire Day) Mike "Schmoo" Steely (Electric Gypsy) Andrea Wallace (Electric Gypsy) Ross Steely (Electric Gypsy) Bert Ross (Jerolyn) Chuck Heffner (aka Fat Chuck) Steve West John Robert Cox Michael McElroy Wes Wilson William G. Hartwell Norman P. Hodges Badly Wooden Head Paul Giampaolo Jeremy Mitchel Joshua M. Gordon Tim Morningstar Ryan Russell James Danner William Arneson Craig Quillen Devyn Geremia Jeffrey L. Gleason Zachary Korte Patrick Saweikis Russel W. Fausnight Greg Starling Anthony Kruz III Alex Hillesland Nathan Levinson Philippe Larock Ronnie Patterson Scott Bruffey Josh Prince Jeffrey Buckholtz Aaron Frazier (The Old Dogs at Play) Joshua Dyke Patrick Gifford Mauretti Chad Hulsley Neil Alan Steininger Grant Peterson Sgt. Abbigail Kappeler (US Army) James Twyford David Maruca R. Randall Gooding John Columbo, Jr. Scott McFarland Joe McGuire (tinfoilmusic.com) Steven Davis Benjamin A. Hunter Nathan Marquez Jason Walker Joseph Szoke (BlueCollarCrime.com) Sean McManus David M. McLean (SDML) Taylor Kenneth Kerns Blase´ Mike Ohrum Wayne Smythe Wil Wheaton T. Spikes Bill Sellers Steve Franko IV Barbara Harley Ralph Gatton Insane Wayne ashleigh j Brian R. Boyko Marshall Jones Tom "Thamuz" Coglianese Billy S. Harrelson Jr. Curtis Losey Justin Ozbun Michael Asbury Rory "Flash" Wright If you are a musician and wish to sign the Declaration, please email wizard@azoz.com

[Super 8]

Bump

[Veracohr]

Wow. A forum full of musicians and after three days no one has anything to say about this. :confused:

[Brendan Orr]

It needs to add the malicious restricitions of the MPAA as well. The laws they are pressing on states are very limiting, and achieve very little.