The piracy panic was exploited to tighten major-label cartel control

Evidence

In hindsight, the threat of piracy was not only exaggerated by the big music companies and its lobbying organizations, but exploited in order to tighten the cartel’s control. — Andrew deWaard, Derivative Media, 198

Categorization

• SEED: Article angle: how a corporate crisis narrative (file-sharing panic) served as cover for defensive consolidation—parallels to how other industries weaponize moral panics.