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CNN Live Today

Interview with Craig Marks

Aired May 28, 2002 - 14:57   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
CAROL LIN, CNN ANCHOR: Now we are moving on to a controversial rapper, you know him as Eminem, and his unprecedented business move. The popular artist moved up the release of his most recent album because it came out two days ago, on a Sunday. It was an effort to best Internet pirates who download his music before it's even released. And renegade radio disk jockeys who played his songs before the official release date.

For more insight into what this all means and this piracy issue, we're joined by Craig Marks. He is the editor of "Blender" magazine. Craig, this had to be weird for Eminem's record company. Didn't they issue a cease-and-desist order for these deejays not to release it? I mean, don't record companies have these kinds of legal options to stop this illegal distribution of music?

CRAIG MARKS, "BLENDER" MAGAZINE: Well, apparently not. They can say whatever they want, but at this point the record had been bootlegged and was available, not just for radio deejays, but more importantly, for consumers over their computer. And so the label felt no other choice but to try to at least counteract some of the illegal activity by releasing the record a little bit early.

LIN: But how does that help, even though people know that they can probably get it for free eventually?

MARKS: Well, they did a number of things. They added a DVD to the CD package, which gives you 30 minutes of live music and interviews. They're also selling it for a lot cheaper than they usually do most records, which is something the record industry has done the last few months to try to counteract some of the bootlegging and try to get people back into the record stores.

LIN: Does it have to be an inside job in order for the record to be prereleased out on the Internet, or bootlegged?

MARKS: Pretty much. I mean, there's lots of places it can happen. Often recording studios are a place that these songs leak out. Mastering plans, pressing plans, sometimes even people on the record label or associates of the artist will either intentionally or sort of unwittingly release a song over the Internet. And once it's on the Net, you know, it's pretty easy to obtain.

LIN: It seems to me that this is great for the consumer. I hate to say it, but why should music lovers care whether they get it for free on the Internet or whether they get an extra bonus from the record company for buying it at a record store?

MARKS: Well, ostensibly, the artist won't have any financial reason to create music. They won't be remunerated. The record companies, which are less a concern to most consumers, won't have resources to make music and promote music if there is no way to get money into the labels and the artists' pockets.

So, to a certain extent the consumers have some responsibility in making sure that the artists are supported by their work. On the other hand, if they feel the prices are way too high, or that the music is available on the Internet and the quality is good enough, then it's a real tough fight for the artist.

LIN: You know, I think people want to be rock stars, even if it means doing it for free. But we'll see.

MARKS: I'm sure about that.

LIN: Personal opinion there. I'm not making my living singing, thank goodness. Thanks so much Craig Marks.

MARKS: You bet.

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