The RIAA is out to protect the artist... something like that. They're acting on behalf of the recording companies more than the artists. I have never heard of an artist receiving money from one of the RIAA's lawsuits, have you? Most artists make their money off of their concerts; ticket sales, shirts, etc. How much do you really think an artist is making per song?
Let's, since it's most appropriate, look at iTunes. Selling a single song for 99 cents, how much do you figure the artist makes?
Less than they used to. It used to be as much as 30 cents, and now it's down to a dime per song. Over iTunes, a standard cd is making an artist a whopping
$1.60, and that's only if a person buys all of the songs on the album.
Who's screwing the artists?