Correct me if I'm wrong. Isn't the RIAA saying that you can own a CD without any problems but you can't put it in a file sharing program and allowing others to download it from you? I guess this means that they are not allowing you the right to have your CD backed up on any folders on your computer they deam unacceptable. This has to be against the law somehow.

I can just see the RIAA saying to the nice pawns, "You can back up your CD but don't be naughty and put it in a folder we don't want you to." Ludicrious!!

Glad

down with RIAA

I think Kazaa Lite has an option to prevent other users from being able to look at your shared files. You can still share them though.

Please understand that I'm no friend of the RIAA. This message should not be construed as defending them or supporting their tactics.

I think that they are specifically *not* going after only the largest infringers in order to generate as much fear as possible...I mean, it certainly seems a more frightening prospect to me that *anyone* could be sued regardless of how many files were being shared. It seems to me they are trying to build a "you are never safe" mindset in the population.

And that would accomplish what, exactly? Yes it would keep unauthorized users out of your harddrive, but it does nothing to prevent the RIAA from cataloging your shared files. Why not just disable file sharing and spare yourself a hardware upgrade?

Can't win a lawsuit with no evidence.

Lawsuits cost a bunch of money and time, and you can't get money out of people that don't have it. This is a scare tactic plain and simple. They are hoping to shut it down just due to fear. There is absolutely no way they can justify this financially.

I'm in the Netherlands and using KaZaA Lite... to quote from some 80ies or 90ies song (MC Hammer? I don't remember, I just remember it sucked)

"Can't touch me!"

:D

when did it become about money and not the music? thats what really bothers me about this whole thing... bands that freak out about file-sharing because they're not getting all their damn money... chris carabba from dashboard confessional said "i don't care how people get my music.. because, its about the music. not the money... if my music can reach more people because of file-sharing then so be it."

that, my friends, is a true artist, someone concerned about the fans, and the music that he is making.. not the fucking money.

There will be a definite backlash against the music industry. I think the RIAA mis-calculated the ire of the consumers. Time will tell.

Glad

They can't financially afford to go through with this. Most of it is just a scare tactic. They realize if they go after someone, there will be a class action suit filed on behalf of the people they are going after and legal fees will eat them alive. I don't condone stealing, but when a corporation controls all channels of distribution (think albums and books) and they charge ridiculous amounts of money for their product, people are going to react. The RIAA needs to get a clue and figure out how to keep up with the times rather than trying to drag us back into the Stone Age.

My plan for stopping myself from Dl music is fairly simple:
Get my friends CD book, which he said I could borrow
Delete all of the music on my computer (with a few exceptions)
Back up all of his CDs on my hard drive

I still violate the laws, but I cant get caught as easy.

I don't know if this is possible, buy if you but a tape and it sucks, can't you sue the artist and the label for putting out an inferior product?

And this whole downloading thing is bullshit. Would somebody buy a car without test driving it? How about a house? Would somebody but a house without checking it out first? Most people check out Doctors, Dentists, Schools, Colleges, church etc. Before going or joining them. Should it be illegal to test drive a car? Or inspect a house? Do you have to buy them first before you can see if you want it? Downloading is the same, everybody want to make sure they don't throw away their hard earn money.

I hope that made sense.

Interesting strategy. But after awhile, your friend would want you to buy the music so he could download it to his computer.

Glad

I think the RIAA has a right to protect its properties but this is not the way to go about it. I'm looking forward to seeing this bite them in the tush :)

This HAS started to bite them in the ass. Universities and ISPs are fighting this in the courts. The court itself is starting to lash against the RIAA as well as more and more of the government representatives.

It seems the tide of subpoenas is slowing, so perhaps the RIAA has had a lucid moment.

Ha!

I'm wondering who a sobpeona is for in the office. We caught wind that someone is being served an sobpeona and a good friend of mine who is also a co-worker has a ton of mp3s, so he thought it might be him.

But, my impression of this is they are going after the people who have 120 gigs online with filesharing programs. My friend downloads it for himself and sometimes I go thru it and listen to some when at work.

Just makes you wonder when you hear about sobpoenas all over the place and then find out someone is gonna be served one in your company that conisists of 15 people :)

Heh, because they are being so agressive, I've decided I will never buy another cd or movie for that matter. I bought a DVD writer over the weekend and I won't ever buy anything from the RIAA or MPAA.

Might sound childish, but they are getting to be too much like big brother. CDs/DVDs that expire after x amount of time once they hit oxygen? Heh, thats alot of thought into something that is simple, lower the prices and people won't steal it.

I've spent waay too much money on cd's over the years. For example, I bought Led Zep's entire back catalogue during the 80's. Some cd's got scratched. You told me they were indestructable! I took care of them!
Then along comes a big box set. Remastered! All my favourite songs, but better! That's about $100 in your money. So I've got the set, then they release all the albums again, but...Remastered! Right, so all the money I spent the first time was wasted, 'Remasters' the box set is now redundant, as I can now hear the albums as they were meant to be heard in both order and sound...If I spend another -ooh- $250.
I've been ripped off until I'm sick, and poor. The fact remains that I will always continue to buy the music I like on cd, because the sound is everything to me, and MP3's (and my reasonable PC setup) are nothing like as good.

To sum up: fuck them.

It will be interesting to see what will come out of all of this when the dust settles. I'm sure its not going to be pretty.

Glad

Here's my tidbit. They say they are doing this cause people are ripping off the Artists.. So of all this money they are sueing for.. how much of it is going to go to the artists? I mean if none of it goes to the artists... aren't they being just as greedy as the ones they are sueing?

I love that twist ;)

I couldn't have said it better. My question is though, there has to be a loophole. What exactly are people being sued for is it for having the songs or for sharing the songs. If its for having the songs, you could just go out and buy every song/cd until you legally owned it. And just keep them in their package and return them after the lawsuit was over with. I don't know my laws the best, but isn't this searching without a warrant? And so all their evidence would be meaningless?

The recording industry is alienating their own customers

With all the lawsuit and such, about people suing manufactures of guns because their weapons was used in a killing or such, why don't the RIAA go after the computer companies who computers are being used to download "illegal" music? My guess is because the computer companies has the money to fight. So they don't want to start a fight they can lose.