US Appeals Court Ruling: "RIAA's subpoenas not authorized by law." - Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community

Lasereth · 12-19-2003, 10:51 PM

I think some of you at TFP might be interested to know that the RIAA got slaughtered at an U.S. appeals court ruling. The RIAA no longer has the ability to issue subpoenas! This is one step against the RIAA's privacy breaking acts.

http://www.cnn.com/2003/LAW/12/19/mu...eut/index.html

Quote:

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -- In a surprise setback for the recording industry, a U.S. appeals court said Friday its methods for tracking down those who copy its music over the Internet are not authorized by law.

The Recording Industry Association of America, a trade group, has sought to force Verizon Communications and other Internet service providers to reveal the names of customers it suspects may be copying music without permission.

The recording industry says the widespread copying of music over the Internet is partially to blame for falling CD sales.

Verizon has argued that existing copyright law does not give the recording industry such authority and its customers' privacy was being violated.

A lower court earlier this year upheld the recording industry's tactics, which have served as the basis for hundreds of lawsuits filed against individual Internet users.

But in a strongly worded ruling, the appeals court sided with Verizon, saying a 1998 copyright law does not give copyright holders the ability to subpoena customer names from Internet providers without filing a formal lawsuit.

"In sum, we agree with Verizon that (the law) does not by its terms authorize the subpoenas issued here," Chief Judge Douglas Ginsburg wrote.

Neither Verizon nor the RIAA was immediately available for comment.

-Lasereth

soccerchamp76 · 12-19-2003, 11:24 PM

Read about this at STLtoday.com

GREAT NEWS!!!

juanvaldes · 12-19-2003, 11:51 PM

I wonder if the bribes got lost in all the holiday shuffle

Ogre840 · 12-20-2003, 01:38 AM

Quote:

But in a strongly worded ruling, the appeals court sided with Verizon, saying a 1998 copyright law does not give copyright holders the ability to subpoena customer names from Internet providers without filing a formal lawsuit.

so wait... if they can't get the names of the people... how can they file a formal lawsuit...

"We (the RIAA) would like to press charges upon 123.456.7.890"

this, along with Swedens (pretty sure it was sweden...) Court ruling saying that Kazaa has no right to block Kazaa lite, means... internet piracy will live on!!!

sailor · 12-20-2003, 07:19 AM

Watch out now... The court said they couldnt do it on a technicality. They court said they agreed with what they were doing, but said that they couldnt do it the way that they were. This is a temporary victory.

12-19-2003, 11:24 PM	#2 (permalink)
soccerchamp76 Go Cardinals Location: St. Louis/Cincinnati	Read about this at STLtoday.com GREAT NEWS!!! __________________ Brian Griffin: Ah, if my memory serves me, this is the physics department. Chris Griffin: That would explain all the gravity.

12-20-2003, 07:19 AM	#5 (permalink)
sailor beauty in the breakdown Location: Chapel Hill, NC	Watch out now... The court said they couldnt do it on a technicality. They court said they agreed with what they were doing, but said that they couldnt do it the way that they were. This is a temporary victory. __________________ "Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws." --Plato

12-19-2003, 11:51 PM	#3 (permalink)
juanvaldes Banned Location: shittown, CA	I wonder if the bribes got lost in all the holiday shuffle