Rosen Reaches Out to Technology Community at Peer-to-Peer and Web Services Conference

Washington, DC - November 06, 2001 - In her address to the Internet development community today at the O’Reilly Peer-to-Peer and Web Services conference, Hilary Rosen, president and CEO of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), reached out to web developers, programmers and business people asking them to work with the recording industry to develop legitimate peer-to-peer business models to get music online.

"The question isn’t whether peer-to-peer or any other particular technology is good or bad," said Rosen. "The question is whether they’re going to be used—whether they’ll respect what artists create just like we in the recording business respect what the business sponsors and software developers in this audience create."

Rosen and other leaders in the Web services industry shared their knowledge, experiences and visions for the future of the Internet at the informative sessions offered throughout the November 5-8 schedule. The three-day conference explores the technical, business, and societal dimensions of the revolutionary Peer-to-Peer and Web Services spaces.

Looking to the future of online music, Rosen acknowledged the gradual process it takes to legally move music online and highlighted the difficult task facing record companies to create a legitimate business model from scratch. “A lot of progress is being made and more will be done,” she said.

Rosen also called on the peer-to-peer community to address the problems facing the illegitimate facets of its industry and work to fix them. In turn the door for an open market in which everyone competes with mutual respect on the value of his or hers creations can be born.

Her address implored the peer-to-peer community to join the recording industry in its move online. “Will peer-to-peer be a part of that process? Will you join us in a legitimate market? Will you protect the incentive to create? Will you provide the same respect for artists’ creations that you deserve for your own?” challenged Rosen.

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The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is the trade organization that supports and promotes the creative and financial vitality of the major music companies. Its members are the music labels that comprise the most vibrant record industry in the world. RIAA® members create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 85% of all legitimate recorded music produced and sold in the United States.

In support of this mission, the RIAA works to protect the intellectual property and First Amendment rights of artists and music labels; conduct consumer, industry and technical research; and monitor and review state and federal laws, regulations and policies. The RIAA® also certifies Gold®, Platinum®, Multi- Platinum™ and Diamond sales awards as well as Los Premios De Oro y Platino™, an award celebrating Latin music sales.