Recording Industry Subpoenas Threaten Consumer Privacy and Safety; SBC

[Gman]

Urges Safeguards to Protect Consumers

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WASHINGTON, Sep 17, 2003 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- The recording industry's distorted interpretation of digital copyright law makes it easier to obtain subpoenas against alleged music file swappers than it is to get subpoenas against suspected felons, said SBC General Counsel Jim Ellis today.

"Subpoena powers are tightly controlled and for good reason," said Ellis. "Something is seriously wrong when Americans' private information can be subpoenaed on little more than a whim and with no judicial oversight."

In testimony before the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee, Ellis recognized the need to balance legitimate property rights against consumers' rights to privacy, safety and due process.
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Ellis also illustrated the threat to public safety that the recording industry's process would create. "Under the RIAA's interpretation of the law, anyone willing to pay a small fee and represent that its copyright is being violated, would be entitled to know the name, address and phone number of the person behind an anonymous email."
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Good argument here.. Ellis has always been damn good.

http://cbs.marketwatch.com/tools/quotes/newsarticle.asp?guid=%7bE08490CB-E8B1-4E5E-B3D5-66DC4CBF720D%7d&siteid=mktw&dist=nbs&symb=

[fsbooks]

1. a small crack in RIAA's power?

Here is hoping. Not only is their interpretation and application of (why do they get to apply the law again, besides the fact that they wrote it?) of the law is holding back the entertainment business from innovation, threatening millions of people for benign activities, and leading to monopoly power, on a wider scale the law seriously threatens the "security" our country promises, democracy itself.