""If a Song Means a Lot to You, Imagine What it Means to Us". These words are being spouted in advertisements found in the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post. The ad is a part of a national campaign set forth by an artist driven coalition against online music piracy, launched just as the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing about online distribution's impact on intellectual property.

Members of 'Artists Against Piracy' (AAP), which includes Aimee Mann, Alanis Morissette, Barenaked Ladies, Christina Aguilera and Faith Hill, have pledged their support of the issues being campaigned by Metallica and rapper Dr. Dre in the copyright infringement lawsuits against Napster.

Some of these artists mentioned, especially Alanis Morissette, are not unwise to the ways of the internet and online music distribution, which raises question as to why they would be part of AAP. While many make light of Lars Ulrich's supposed ignorance of mp3, Alanis Morissette has been an investor in MP3.com for quite some time.

Heading up AAP is Noah Stone, a recording artists and internet label executive, who says AAP was created to advocate artists' choice in determining how their music is presented, distributed and marketed online.

"Artists Against Piracy's mission is to provide a collective voice for artists on the issue of the digital distribution of music." said Stone in a release.

To me, this is another lost cause. I am all for artists making money and supporting their rights, but, joining hands with the riaa in going after napster and mp3 is just bass ackwards!