GoMusic.ru

So I just got $10 free credit from gomusic.ru to continue downloading their questionably legal music. Go Music is a Russian website that has literally hundreds of thousands of artists and their songs for download, all for $.15 a song! That beats the hell out of iTunes $.99! In fact, it beats the hell out of it so much that I exclusively buy from GoMusic.

Of course, using this site this brings up a variety of question marks and gray areas.

1. Are they stealing your credit card information?

--I monitored my credit card statement closely the first few times I sent money halfway across the world for cheap songs. Never had a problem. Except now I don't think they accept credit cards online, only by the phone now. That might be a problem.

2. Is it legal?

--I don't know, probably not.

3. Does the RIAA know?

--Probably. This all-knowing entity of evil can even read minds of any and all would-be copyright infringers. I'm sure they know about these guys too.

The fact that the RIAA has done nothing to shut these guys down from the internet brings up three possible conclusions:

a.) The RIAA has absolutely no jurisdiction or recognition in Russia. I'm sure the web of international law is very gray and sticky when it comes down to it.

b.) The RIAA finally gave up. I mean think about it. I haven't seen Limewire or those other pirating promotion programs get burned up and shut down. On top of the fact it would probably be a monstrous hassle with the international law thing, why bother with gomusic?

c.) Maybe GoMusic struck a deal with the RIAA or artist conglomerate of whatever to offer cheaper music to a country with a weaker economy. Afterall, other industries do the same thing. For you college students, you may recall looking online for a cheaper chemistry book to buy and coming across the famous "International Edition" of your needed book, that ultimately ends up saving you half the cost of buying the actual American edition. The International edition textbook is nothing more than a paperback version of the regular edition sent out overseas in an attempt to increase education (and publisher profits of course) of people in third world countries that otherwise wouldn't be able to afford the actual version. U.S. students found a loophole around that through amazon.com. GoMusic perhaps happened to find a loophole around the music issue through the internet.

4. Do I feel justified?

--I always come across this question. Because in the end, if I feel like I'm heading into an ethical gray area supporting some foreign music site, why not just say, "screw it," and download free songs on limeware? The short answer, is that because a gray area (GoMusic) isn't a black area (Limewire)--it is just less defined. Gray areas are open to interpretation and can be justified, and I so happened to justify my position here.

So I guess I'll continue to endorse this shady music download website until they are put to justice and shut down, if such action is necessary at all. Afterall, Russians aren't all that bad. :)

At least I'll get to finally download The Black Parade album my brother recommended to me over a year ago. Thanks Phil! :)