RIAA - anyone here been subpoenaed?
 

I'm curious if anyone here has been subpoenaed by the RIAA. The Electronic Freedom Foundation http://www.eff.org has a database of usernames that the RIAA has sought to subpoena information on. So far I'm clean, but I wonder just how broad their witchhunt has extended. EFF says 75 new subpoenas every day (wonder if it's dropped since they came up with this amnesty deal) but that's not a lot given the number of people downloading.

Here's a little bit of security I posted in another post:

http://www.tfproject.org/tfp/showthr...threadid=25743

I tells you about Peer Guardian which attemps to block the incoming RIAA "sniffers"

Also, looks like they may be more leniant than originally stated:

http://au.news.yahoo.com/030904/11/lkfp.html

- sorry I missed your comment about amnesty earlier: this article is about that.

With the recent announcement of their amnesty program and the accelerated decline in sales (arguably caused by consumer animosity), I am going to go out on a limb and say that we will see a rapid decline in the number of subpoenas issued.

Below are a couple links. Disclaimer: These are links to my site, but my site IS a digital music / media news site so I feel the plug is warranted.

Sharing / sales numbers:
http://tfproject.org/tfp/showthread....threadid=25584

Amnesty program:
http://tfproject.org/tfp/showthread....threadid=25684

(Edit: pointed to relevant TFP links where possible)

I would be very tick off if I was one of the ones subpoenaed, with the Amnesty program now.

ugg... the RIAA. What to say... They can't stop everyone? I dunno.

Man the RIAA better have alot of money for lawyers.....alot of people won't get caught if they are "smart" about what they do.

Just don't use Kaaza sheesh. RIAA are total morons. Why do they pick one p2p at a time instead of going after all the major ones?

They probably only find out about them one at a time. They probably still don't know about GNUtella or Hotline.

Honestly, the amnesty program sounds like a trap to me.

If you think about it, they're asking you to come forward, say you had illegal stuff, and then delete it. The RIAA then can't sue you, but what about the individual record companies?

I think the amnesty program is because they know they can't realistically persue all cases and people so they want people to stop to make it easier on themselves.

I know for one I'll never sign any amnesty deal.... not that I've downloading anything illegal... really... I'm being serious... :)

Honestly though, it sounds like a trap. You sign the deal, then they'll track you. If you get caught after that point, well... you go to jail and/or get fined out the whazoo. Its kinda like... Hey! I've done it... now please watch me and I promise I won't do it again... really! Honest...

Just my $.02...

Its not just Kazaa, I got a phone call from Warner Bros. using Edonkey. It was before the plague of lawsuits. They told me to delete the movie. I quit p2p its not worth the trouble. I just quit buying movies, music and stuff. I spend my time surfing the interent and such now.

IMHO anyone using Kazaa is asking for it. There are plenty of safer not-as-well-known networks out there.

Plus you get busted for breaking a legally binding contract.

I don't download (or upload, for that matter) music files on P2P networks, so I wouldn't normally be a target for those little Nazi-wannabe's.

However, after jotting down my thoughts about the RIAA here at the TFP (CHECK IT OUT HERE), I wouldn't be surprised if I'm served anyway just because I'm a pain in their collective asses.

....Of course, the pain could be coming from their heads being stuck so far up there, too!

I've never been subpoenaed, but then I also don't do the P2P thing much anymore. Right around when the RIAA annouced that were going to start taking names I signed off Kazaa for good. Not surprisingly, there are other ways of getting what I need... some of them legal too. :)