The RIAA is using their monopoly powers to grab the entire music market by the balls. And record sales keep on slipping away. Now, I’m assuming that’s retail sales, which is a very important distinction as some people totally miss.

They buy straight into the rhetoric that the music market is slipping and completely gloss over the fact that sales are actually increasing, just not in the traditional retail venues. Direct sales are always up.

I think we’re getting a good dose of why monopoly’s are never in anyone’s best interest. Unless it’s nominaly owned by the customers it serves, a monopoly just screws everyone over in an effort to benefit the people in charge of, well, the monopoly.

The major labels (re: the parts of the RIAA) actually tried to screw over retailers in favor of direct marekting. And it’s largely worked. Now they’re using the bogey man of downloading to further screw over customers while making a mint.

Are you really shocked?