This is just epic: the recording industry now thinks that music on the radio is piracy. I guess they've handed gasoline and matches all around at the RIAA, and there's a competition for who can burn the business down fastest:

Broadcasting music without payment is akin to piracy, the industry says. "It's a form of piracy, if you will, but not in the classic sense as we think of it," said Martin Machowsky, a musicFirst spokesman. "Today we gifted them a can of herring, about their argument that they provide promotional value. We think that's a red herring. Nobody listens to the radio for the commercials."

Umm, yeah, because no one has ever, ever heard a song on the radio, decided they liked it, and headed off to iTunes. Nope, never happens. I didn't think the RIAA could get stupider, but heck - there's apparently no limit to that function.

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