You want to hear something funny? Actually, no. It’s sad.
Bob Weir spoke to KBCO in Boulder about the Archive.org issue that has divided the band and disappointed so many heads. He sounds like President Bush. And that’s about as gernerous as I can be.
David Gans transcribed some of it (but you really need to hear it for full effect):
We had to cover our asses. What they’re doing is illegal, unless there are arrangements made… particularly in the case of covers – other people’s material.
If we’re perceived to be distributing their songs without their agreement, they have every right, and really and every obligation, to sue us…
We had to take it down. We had no choice. It’s archive.com’s [sic] job to make arrangements with the other people whose material… we’re playing, and then everything’s good….
Probably a lot of it is stuff that we intend to release in the future anyway.
We need revenue. Our music division needs revenue so we can digitize all of that stuff.
The ‘information wants to be free, man’ – those folks… this is not information, this is music. It’s kind of value-added information. Some people prefer to call it art….
We had to go ahead and do the right thing, and it upset some folks. I’m really sorry about that. So they started up a petition, a boycott, and all that kind of stuff. I really hope they can stick to their guns, and boycott us, and… seeya….
Gans is distressed at Weir’s classless and bumbling display. I think it’s perfect.
Guess what, Bob? We’ve gone out of our way to be nice to you all these years. That game is over.
[via Live Music Blog]