Another example why to hate the RIAA - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Xazy · 06-28-2007, 03:14 AM

Quote:

BEAVERTON, Ore. (AP) - An Oregon woman who says she was wrongly accused of music piracy filed a federal lawsuit against the Recording Industry Association of America, claiming the trade group used abusive tactics in its effort to collect thousands of dollars.

Also named in the suit are MediaSentry, a private investigation company, and the Settlement Support Center, described in the lawsuit as the debt-collection arm of the recording industry's campaign against piracy.

Tanya Andersen, 44, a disabled, single mother from Beaverton, said she got a letter in 2005 from a law firm accusing her of illegally downloading music. As directed, she called the Settlement Support Center.

Andersen said she had never illegally downloaded music, but was told she had to pay $4,000 to $5,000 or she would be ruined financially, according to her lawsuit.

Among the abusive tactics cited in the suit was a threat to interrogate Andersen's 10-year-old daughter.

Jonathan Lamy, a spokesman for the recording industry association, declined to comment on the specifics of the Andersen case, but defended the industry's strategy to combat illegal file-sharing.

The industry has taken legal action against 21,000 individual computer users since 2003.

The industry claimed that Andersen used a certain name to illegally download music on May 20, 2004. Andersen searched the Internet for the name, and learned that it belonged to a man in Everett, Wash., who admitted on his MySpace account that he illegally downloaded music.

Andersen provided the information to the record industry, but officials responded by publicly accusing her of downloading a series of violent and profane songs. Andersen, the suit says, only listens to country music and soft rock.

A recording industry expert finally confirmed that Andersen's computer had not been used to download music, but attorneys still demanded that she pay money before they would drop the case.

"They wanted it to appear publicly that they prevailed," the suit claims. "When Ms. Andersen declined to pay them, defendants stepped up their intimidation."

Two years after filing the lawsuit, the recording industry agreed to drop the case if Andersen dropped her counter charges.

Andersen instead filed a motion forcing the recording industry to provide proof that she illegally downloaded music. The industry dropped its suit on June 1.

Andersen continues to seek to recover her legal costs from the recording companies that sued her, according to her Washington-based attorney, Lory R. Lybeck.

Andersen filed a new suit in U.S. District Court in Oregon last week seeking additional damages.

Got to love they know she didn't download, but wouldn't drop it until she paid them. And finally would drop it only after she dropped her counter suit. And here is another interesting article

Quote:

Beaverton (OR) – Former RIAA defendant Tanya Andersen is now suing the major record labels and the RIAA for negligent and illegal investigation and prosecution. In a thirteen count civil suit filed in Oregon District Court, she alleges that record labels didn’t use properly licensed investigators and violated her privacy.

You may remember Andersen as the single mother who was accused of illegally downloaded music through peer to peer networks. After a two-year legal battle, she forced the RIAA to dismiss the case with prejudice. Now, with the help of the attorneys at Lybeck and Murphy, Andersen is turning this into a classic case of "hunter becoming the hunted" by suing for direct and punitive damages.

In addition to suing the RIAA, Andersen is targeting Atlantic Recording, Priority Records, Capital Records, UMG Recordings and BMG Music. She is also naming Media Sentry and RIAA’s Settlement Support Center as defendants. Andersen’s lawyers are hitting the defendants with the full power of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act and federal and state RICO (Racketeer Influenced and Corruption Act), something that is often used against mafia and street gang members.

Andersen claims the defendants used a scheme of “threatening and intimidating” tactics to force alleged downloaders to pay thousands of dollars in settlement fees. The victims often cannot mount an effective defense because they are only given a “short” 10-day time period to answer, according to Andersen.

The lawsuit also claims that most of those targeted by the RIAA are probably innocent because Media Sentry, the company that tracks the downloaders, doesn’t fully investigate the matter. Andersen also says the company is acting like a private investigator, something that Media Sentry isn’t licensed for in the state of Oregon.

All I can say is I hope she wins big money big money.

spectre · 06-28-2007, 06:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xazy

All I can say is I hope she wins big money big money.

Same here. Every time I hear about the RIAAs tactics, it sounds like a bad Sopranos episode. I understand that they want to protect their property, but you can't break the law to uphold it. What really annoys me is that nothing is being done when stories like this keep coming out that they're either breaking the law, or knowingly, wrongfully accusing people. That's why I want to see her win, and win big, just so they know they can't extort money from random people because they feel like it.

soccerchamp76 · 06-28-2007, 09:12 AM

The RIAA has been doing illegal business for years and there is no indication of any slowing yet. From putting spyware on CDs to prevent users from "using" their purchased music to hiring mob-like internet investigators.
I feel that soon enough, however, all of their illegal and malicious tactics will snowball and eventually destroy the RIAA.

Jinn · 06-28-2007, 09:26 AM

I probably can't even say how I truly feel about the RIAA without being flagged by some government crawler looking for hate speech or potential terorrists, but I will say that I am encouraged by the fact that people are finally standing up for their rights. Down with the RIAA and their illegal business practices.

kevpdx · 06-28-2007, 10:53 AM

RIAA sucks.

I live in Beaverton

Crack · 06-28-2007, 11:14 AM

the way of the world is as follows:

Humans > Greater Apes > Dolphins > Dogs > Horses > all the other mammals > fish > insects > algee > Scum that feeds on algee > Lawyers > MPAA = RIAA > Nazis > Creed

Everyone knows this.

Jetée · 06-28-2007, 11:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Crack

the way of the world is as follows:

Humans > Greater Apes > Dolphins > Dogs > Horses > all the other mamals > fish > insects > algee > Scum that feeds on algee > Lawyers > MPAA = RIAA > Nazis > Creed

Everyone knows this.

you forgot octopusses

OR IS IT octopi

Crack · 06-28-2007, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jetstream

you forgot octopusses

OR IS IT octopi

they would go between mammals and fish

The_Jazz · 06-28-2007, 12:51 PM

what about Nigerian scam artists?

Willravel · 06-28-2007, 01:05 PM

If they ever tried to strong arm me, I'd publish every threat online. If they called me, I'd record their voice and put in on youtube. It's important for people to know that the RIAA and MPAA are financial terrorist organizations.

The funny part is that I have downloaded a few torrents, but it's of things I already own legally. It's called backing up. I have hundreds and hundreds of DVDs and if they were ever stolen, I'd like to have some of them backed up.

dirtyrascal7 · 06-28-2007, 02:10 PM

Wow, this is pretty nuts... I snagged this from the wikipedia entry on the RIAA:

Quote:

In 1999, Stanley M. Glazier, a Congressional staff attorney, inserted, without public notice or comment, substantive language into the final markup of a "technical corrections" section of copyright legislation, classifying many music recordings as "works made for hire," thereby stripping artists of their copyright interests and transferring those interests to their record labels. Shortly afterwards, Glazier was hired as Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Legislative Counsel for the RIAA, which vigorously defended the change when it came to light. The battle over the disputed provision led to the formation of the Recording Artists' Coalition, which successfully lobbied for repeal of the change.

So this disgusting mentality that they have obviously comes from the few people at the top of the organization and they just hire more assholes who have similarly twisted views on business ethics and morals.

06-28-2007, 09:12 AM	#3 (permalink)
soccerchamp76 Go Cardinals Location: St. Louis/Cincinnati	The RIAA has been doing illegal business for years and there is no indication of any slowing yet. From putting spyware on CDs to prevent users from "using" their purchased music to hiring mob-like internet investigators. I feel that soon enough, however, all of their illegal and malicious tactics will snowball and eventually destroy the RIAA. __________________ Brian Griffin: Ah, if my memory serves me, this is the physics department. Chris Griffin: That would explain all the gravity.

06-28-2007, 09:26 AM	#4 (permalink)
Jinn Lover - Protector - Teacher Location: Seattle, WA	I probably can't even say how I truly feel about the RIAA without being flagged by some government crawler looking for hate speech or potential terorrists, but I will say that I am encouraged by the fact that people are finally standing up for their rights. Down with the RIAA and their illegal business practices. __________________ "I'm typing on a computer of science, which is being sent by science wires to a little science server where you can access it. I'm not typing on a computer of philosophy or religion or whatever other thing you think can be used to understand the universe because they're a poor substitute in the role of understanding the universe which exists independent from ourselves." - Willravel

06-28-2007, 11:14 AM	#6 (permalink)
Crack Misanthropic Location: Ohio! yay!	the way of the world is as follows: Humans > Greater Apes > Dolphins > Dogs > Horses > all the other mammals > fish > insects > algee > Scum that feeds on algee > Lawyers > MPAA = RIAA > Nazis > Creed Everyone knows this. __________________ Crack, you and I are long overdue for a vicious bout of mansex. ~Halx Last edited by Crack; 06-28-2007 at 12:50 PM..

06-28-2007, 12:51 PM	#9 (permalink)
The_Jazz Asshole Administrator Location: Chicago	what about Nigerian scam artists? __________________ "They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety." - B. Franklin "There ought to be limits to freedom." - George W. Bush "We have met the enemy and he is us." - Pogo

06-28-2007, 10:53 AM	#5 (permalink)
kevpdx Upright	RIAA sucks. I live in Beaverton

06-28-2007, 01:05 PM	#10 (permalink)
Willravel ... a sort of licensed troubleshooter.	If they ever tried to strong arm me, I'd publish every threat online. If they called me, I'd record their voice and put in on youtube. It's important for people to know that the RIAA and MPAA are financial terrorist organizations. The funny part is that I have downloaded a few torrents, but it's of things I already own legally. It's called backing up. I have hundreds and hundreds of DVDs and if they were ever stolen, I'd like to have some of them backed up.