MexicanOnABike

edited out my post.

phredgreen

google, dammit.

http://www.google.com/search?num=50&...%22+statistics

there's a spectacular start. self reliance rules!

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Karm

What if a person uploaded their entire CD collection to HD. They have not even a single dl'd song. This individual leaves this file open for anyone on kaaza 24/7. Does the RIAA even notice? If they bring charges against said person. Does this defendant have a shut and close case in court? After all, they have purchased all the music on the HD in question. Do they also need receipts to show date of purchase? Or is this all theoretical babble?

phredgreen

a person is allowed a backup copy of their music, but not allowed to distribute those backups to others.

__________________
My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.
- Thomas Paine

Karm

How can a person be responsible for someone's action of taking it without paying the artest? Is that saying both parties are equally at fault? I would think the free-loader has commited the so-called crime. One more thought. Whom of the 2 parties is the RIAA seeking suit against?

MexicanOnABike

edited out my post

phredgreen

karm: by making the files available for others to download, the person who backed up their music is committing a crime.

the person who downloads that music is also committing a crime.

i beleive the riaa targeted those distributing files, as reports were made of people who got tagged having thousands of files available.

__________________
My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.
- Thomas Paine

MSD

The RIAA only goes after open share directories.

Karm

What exactly is an openshare directory? BTW Phred, you the man on ti*@y boards! Love the plump stuff.

phredgreen

thankya.

open shared directory are folders on yoru computer that you have designated as open for others to download files from. an example would be your shared files folder in kazaa. people can download anything from that folder they want to if you have enabled it. that means you are now criminally liable for all of those files that you are giving away to others.

__________________
My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.
- Thomas Paine

Karm

What if the music is all remix's or bootleg live stuff. Is that stuff copywrited and protected by law?

phredgreen

if the artist is a member of the riaa and the music was released through official channels, it's illegal.

bootlegs are also illegal.

remixes that are made without permission are also illegal.

to check and see if an artist is a member of the riaa, use the RIAA Radar.

__________________
My country is the world, and my religion is to do good.
- Thomas Paine

MexicanOnABike

edited out my post

SecretMethod70

Study: File-Sharing No Threat to Music Sales

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2004Mar29.html

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Le temps détruit tout

"Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling

Poloboy

If you're interested in throwing some international flavour into your report, you could refer to the recent ruling that made P2P sharing legal in Canada:

http://www.cbc.ca/stories/print/2004...ad_court040331

SecretMethod70

Here are a few more things to help you out:

http://www.riaaradar.com/ - great site to use in general, but it also has a lot of information as well.

http://www.boycott-riaa.com/ - yet another site with good info about the RIAA and their devious interpretations of data regarding music downloading and its effects on CD sales

and an article...
Music industry way off track with song and dance about falling sales
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/...412234274.html

__________________
Le temps détruit tout

"Musicians are the carriers and communicators of spirit in the most immediate sense." - Kurt Elling

MexicanOnABike

edited out my post

Speed_Gibson

never have shared files on P2P services but no in way in hell would I do it now, as 90% of my newer files are rather large lossless files (FLAC with some older APE files) and a small percentage of MP4s from CDs that I own.
Most of my sources are vinyls so lossy codecs are out of the question for archiving.

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Started talking to yourself I see.
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Black Adder

KnifeMissile

This is true in the US of A.

In Canada, according to this article, downloading music over P2P networks is perfectly legal. Just recently, according to this article, a court ruling declared that sharing files on a P2P network is insufficient grounds to compel discovery. In other words, sharing files on KaZaA is not even strong enough evidence for the CRIA (our equivalent of the RIAA) to force my ISP to reveal my identity. Of course, they're trying to appeal the decision, according to this article . We'll see how that goes...

DelayedReaction

Most importantly:

Filesharing copyrighted material IS NOT PIRACY. It is not theft. It is copyright infringement. This should be a major point in your argument; that the RIAA and other industries have used buzzwords to change the perception of what filesharing is and is not. Filesharing is a constitutionally protected form of free speech; filesharing copyrighted material is considered "commercial speech" and is therefore subject to restrictions. Check out the filesharing court case involving Verizon ("Verizon I" and "Verizon II") for more info on the difference between political and commercial free speech.

But the biggest thing is this; copyright infringement is not piracy, nor is it theft. You could probably write a damn good paper on just that.

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If ignorance is bliss, you must be having an orgasm.