You say that it's the institution...
Originally published 8 October 2000

Looking back on the late 90s "revolution," part two.

"But David," some people say, "surely you can't possibly think the RIAA's policies, which impoverish artists while enriching corporate types, are a good thing."

Well, of course I don't. I just think it would have been equally silly for us "content providers" to cast our lot with a bunch of mostly-well-paid techies whose stated belief was that intellectual property was a dated concept and all art and writing should be given away. After I drew this strip, and a few others like it, I got e-mail from various tech types who openly held this view; I can also remember reading articles which proposed rather convoluted alternative ways for artists to make a living. (I also acknowledge that there were some whose views were, well, sane. And I applaud them. They weren't the problem.)

So whose side am I on? The side of the artists and intellectuals. Always. It was true during the bubble and it's true now.

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