why the music industry is fucking stupid

with my site, Smother.Net I'm often asked to post banners, host (or more often link to) videos, music, streams, MP3's, etc., write reviews, conduct interviews, etc. etc. etc....I do my best to accommodate as many artists as possible and help out even the biggest labels...I started my site because I thought it would be fun plus it was a pain in the ass for my little band to get any press feedback (save for our rad comparison to Voivod in the UK's Metal Hammer haha)...so it frustrates me to no end to get bullshit emails like this from the big wigs in the music industry...and yes, I'm posting the FULL E-MAIL with no names stricken out save for the poor schlub at the promotional company (it's not they're fault and they're frustrated with this lack of common sense):

"http://www.jrecords.com/newsletters/fowler/051205.html

May 12, 2005

IMPORTANT: PLEASE READ

Dear Partner,

As a result of a new policy implemented on behalf of J Records and Arista Records by our parent company Sony BMG, all video streams of J Records and Arista Records artists must be removed from your website or on-line distribution platform. I have provided a complete list of affected artists below. Please review carefully. A formal notification from Sony BMG Business Affairs setting forth the end-date on which the videos need to be removed is forthcoming, along with information on how to license our videos for use in the future. Your immediate attention to this matter is greatly appreciated.

Kind Regards,
Jennifer Fowler

ARTISTS:
Abra Moore
Alicia Keys
Angie Stone
Annie Lennox
Aretha Franklin
Babyface
Boo
Busta Rhymes
Cassidy
Dido
Eric Sermon
Fantasia
Flipmode Squad
Gavin DeGraw
Havana Nights
Kenny G
LFO
Love Actually
Luther Vandross
Lyric
Maroon 5
Mario
Mashonda
Monica
OTown
Product G and B
Rah Digga
Rhymefest
Rod Stewart
Ruben Studdard
Santana
Sarah McLachlan
Shawn Kane
Silvertide

SOiL
Whitney Houston
Wyclef Jean
Yung Wun"

Now obviously plenty of these artists aren't as worried about getting free publicity as the others but still, it's pretty ridiculous for a Sony/BMG imprint to whine about such nonsense...you know why they're doing this? because people are converting streams into something they can put on their iPod and in addition people are actually VIEWING them or STREAMING them, and get this--they want to lower their bandwidth and storage costs!...can you fucking believe these assholes?...all of the Sony imprints are following suit, which is several thousand artists...how dumb. fuck them.