More song swappers sued

[ButterflyBlood]

NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - The nation's record companies Wednesday sued another 532 people for illegally distributing copyrighted music over the Internet, stepping up their attack against online music piracy.

<snip>

But a big difference between the lawsuits filed Wednesday and those in September is the group is now using what is known as the "John Doe" process to sue defendants whose names aren't known.

The lawsuits identify the defendants by their numerical computer address, or Internet Protocol address, and once the suits have been filed, record labels will be able to subpoena the information necessary to identify the defendant by name.

<snip>

http://money.cnn.com/2004/01/21/technology/riaa_suits/index.htm?cnn=yes

bastards.:mad:

[wuushew]

1. How is this legal?

What if a carjacker stole my car, then ran over an elderly woman. Would I be guilty of murder?

[brainshrub]

2. You think that's bad! Check this out:

Music Industry Puts Troops in the Streets
http://www.laweekly.com/ink/04/07/news-sullivan.php

<..snip..>

"Even as it suffers setbacks in the courtroom, the RIAA has over the last 18 months built up a national staff of ex-cops to crack down on people making and selling illegal CDs in the hood. With all the trappings of a police team, including pink incident reports that, among other things, record a vendor’s height, weight, hair and eye color, the RIAA squad can give those busted the distinct impression they’re tangling with minions of Johnny Law instead of David Geffen. And that raises some potential legal questions."

<..snip..>

This is an example of an industry engaged in vigilante justice. The RIAA is using intimidation and hired thugs, disguised as police, to enforce its own rules. This type of behavior would make a mafia boss blush.

[damnraddem]

4. It's just plain stupid.

Just wait for the RIAA vigilante squad to try something too far out and get a lawsuit filed against it, the RIAA, and hopefully the record labels.

[wuushew]

5. Someone should report a right-wing group of music piracy

Some white milita, posse commitatus or such. Gun nuts vs. copyright nuts would be amusing.

[Adapter44]

8. Or to try it in Texas or Alabama...

nt

[beyurslf]

3. When this first started, I tried to support the RIAA

by saying we should respect copyrights. But they keep getting worse and worse. They want to play nasty and maybe I will just never buy a cd again. I can always download it!

[northzax]

6. you know, they are within thier rights

and indeed their obligations to protect copywrites. fine, but has no one at RIAA ever heard the phrae "you catch more flies with honey than vinegar?" This overzealous enforcement is, quite simply, the worst possible solution in the long term to the RIAA's problems. The more they act like legal ogres, the more people will not actually mind stealing from them.

[Occulus]

7. corporate personhood is the only thing allowing this. n/t

[Adapter44]

9. I think anyone

who believes you should TRY to stop online file swapping is naive. It is not technically possible. You would have to have MASSIVE control over both the internet and computer hardware/software. Unless there was a one world government it's not going to happen. Totally impossible. Might as well go on a quest to eliminate world hunger and fully expect to succeed.

[Occulus]

11. to *stop* online ANYTHING

you would have to have complete control over all the internet.

This is the exact same issue that was raised with the advent of radio, records, tapes, and CDs. Each and every time, even back into the 1920s, the recording industry has been trying to tell the public that the new technology will mean the end of the industry. Each and every single time, this has not happened. In fact, each and every time, the industry has turned their bane into an indespensible boon.

Tell me how filesharing hurts the industry. To that I say, GOOD!

Not only hurt, but KILL this industry. It does NOT deserve to exist.

I haven't bought a single CD or voluntarily listened to any radio station in ten years. I will not begin to do so now. If I want music, I WRITE it. If I want music I didn't write, I download it, and NO, it's not 'new music'; everything I download has been paid for by others many, many times over.

Aside from all that, I firmly believe that once you broadcast music over the airwaves, it becomes public domain by default. We, the public, own the airwaves and the recording industry, through their broadcasters, comes to us for permission to use them.

The industry owes us for the privelege of broadcasting over our airwaves- not the other way around.

[lostnfound]

10. Is this what they mean by "frivolous lawsuits"?

Sure, in the abstract, this is a crime that ought to be prosecuted.

In reality, let's contrast the resources and infringements on privacy etc. devoted to prosecuting

*crimes against ordinary humans, like your house being robbed or even murders in big cities, where a real live human loses life or all their possessions etc

vs.

*crimes against corporations like this, where the loss amounts to the loss of profit on a zero-marginal-cost production of additional electronic copies of songs.

I would never and have never been guilty of this, but I am sick of individuals' rights being trampled on in the name of "catching criminals", while crimes committed against individuals are treated as "ho-hum, go buy a gun and protect yourself".

It's so insidious and unquestioned, this constant preference of corporate rights over individual rights. (And NO, it is NOT about "making sure artists get paid for their work".)

[Coventina]

12. Bring it on!

Sue every last one of us you scum suckers!
Then watch your profits soar!!!

(Idiots!)