Musician Defends Filesharers With CD Release

In the wake of music industry lawsuits leveled at peer-to-peer filesharers, Seattle songwriter Scott Andrew LePera is helping individuals and families cope with the effects of RIAA litigation with his latest record release.

Seattle WA (PRWEB) October 15, 2003 - As peer-to-peer users brace for another round of lawsuits filed by the recording industry, an unassuming folk-pop musician from the Pacific Northwest is doing something to negate the effects of those lawsuits.

Seattle-based songwriter Scott Andrew LePera released his newest CD "Where I've Been" independently on his website this autumn. For the first month of release, LePera is donating a portion of the record price to the P2P Legal Defense Fund at Downhill Battle, a website dedicated to assisting families and individuals served with filesharing lawsuits filed by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

LePera's 6-song EP of folk-tinged acoustic pop is priced on an experimental "pay what you like" sliding scale, allowing listeners to pay as little as $5.00 US per copy. During the month of October, all amounts over the $5.00 minimum are donated to the defense fund. Donating to the fund is optional.

It's a move that many might see as unusual for a musician who relies on income from record sales, in an industry that sees peer-to-peer MP3 trading as toxic to its profit margins. But LePera, who has worked in the computer industry and is no stranger to the culture of the Web, is more sympathetic to those targeted by the recording industry.

"The penalty is completely disproportionate to the magnitude of the crime," LePera opines. "A speeding ticket can cost you hundreds of bucks, but the point is, you're endangering lives when you speed. To impose a $3500 settlement on a family because their teenager was sharing MP3s on the family computer goes way beyond any concept of fairness."

LePera's sentiments echo those of many independent and major-label musicians who agree that the RIAA's tactics are unnecessarily heavy-handed.

LePera came up with the donation idea as he prepared "Where I've Been" for release. He contacted Downhill Battle to offer his help in raising funds to help those saddled with expensive legal settlements and court costs. Many of the 261 people sued have settled with the RIAA for thousands of dollars.

"The record industry's lawsuits aren't just another business strategy, they're hurting real people and undermining families' financial security during what are already tough times," stated Downhill Battle co-founder Nicholas Reville in a release posted at the website. "Without warning, families and individuals are being slammed with enormous lawsuits that they can't possibly afford to defend themselves against." Listeners are also encouraged to donate to the defense fund directly.

LePera sees the unusual sliding scale pricing as part of a grand experiment. "I thought it would be interesting to see what people would pay, if given the choice. Let people pay what they think it's worth." LePera also provides free, lower-quality MP3 samples on his website so curious listeners can sample the songs before they buy.

"Where I've Been" is a compilation spanning nearly five years of LePera's songwriting career, and wanders from lyrical urban folk to alt-country style rock. The enhanced CD contains both audio and MP3 versions, and includes eight bonus tracks in MP3 format along with lyrics, photos and production notes. The record is available exclusively on the Web and at LePera's live shows.

In true do-it-yourself fashion, LePera recorded the record himself, using his home computer and audio software. He also designed the CD packaging and personally mails each copy. "I've gone from writing songs to playing post office," he jokes. "I might have to stay away from stamp glue for awhile before I release my next record."

More information on the record and the defense fund is available on the Web at http://www.scottandrew.com

To learn more about the Downhill Battle P2P Defense Fund, visit the website at
http://www.downhillbattle.org/defense
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