A fuller explanation for Bearshare, a sabotaged ShareAza & other programs explained here The Story: Shareaza, iMesh, RIAA, and Recent Events. No wonder I do not feel inspired to buy Sony products any more with the Sony director a part of the RIAA & of iMesh. I think I read a different article which gave the direct link of Sony to such issues. The Sony director being a part of the iMesh story & of RIAA also, maybe one of the off-shoot links.

On a local point, Sony bought the major record companies here in Australia & sacked most of the older bands despite some of them still being popular. They wanted to shape Australia's music industry how 'they' wanted, dictating how the bands should perform for commercial reasons. Can only buy the older CD albums via either rare publications or via the band setting up their own publications for their music. A manager of a major Australian record store in my city told me one band (a rock blues band) who had been popular for years, now deals directly with the chain store for distribution of their CD albums. He told me one of the bands albums had never dropped out of their top 100 albums sales over 35 years.

Australia's alternative bands now have less chance to succeed. Unless they let themselves be dictated to by the 'commercial' approach of the sony studios. Or use the lesser distributed smaller/minor local record companies with limited distribution abilities. ie: Sony has killed Australia's music identity. They want Australia's music to sound like America. I was previously a musician myself and with studio recording session experience for artists, so I can understand the frustrations of the alternative bands. I enjoyed both playing in & listening to underground bands in my city. They are a breath of fresh air for innovation & musical ideas.