Dawn of the Dead: RIAA Files More Lawsuits
Published January 22, 2004
Verizon had successfully challenged the industry's use of copyright subpoenas, one of its most effective tools to track illegal downloaders. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia ruled last month that the recording industry can't use the subpoenas to force Internet providers to identify music downloaders without filing a lawsuit. [AP] As the process has become much more expensive in light of the Verizon decision, I expect these suits to peter off - this action is more a reminder than anything else, although that is of no comfort to the sued, I'm sure. With the process so up in the air, I hope people don't just automatifcally settle, although I also realize it's much cheaper to pay the blackmail money than to fight it in court. That's a real problem with our judicial system.
Kevin Doran has some very cogent thoughts:
- And all this risk-taking at a time when the record industry is trying to ride the momentum of a holiday recovery in order to convince those same people and their millions of consumer peers that they should patronize the labels' blossoming etail outlets? There is an intellectual and emotional disconnect with the real world that is explicable only as the mindset of a rampaging bully clouded by rage and self-loathing, willing to pull down its own house just for spite.
There'll be lots to talk about at Senator Coleman's upcoming P2P Summit.
Oh? - the lawsuits were the RIAA's way of signalling that the major labels won't negotiate a market solution no matter what the US government wants?
Well, OK, then.
Tell us, Mssrs. Sherman and Bainwol, why are all those vendored downloads priced the same?
- Dawn of the Dead: RIAA Files More Lawsuits
- Published: January 22, 2004
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- Section: Sci/Tech
- Filed Under: Sci/Tech: Internet, Music: News
- Writer: Eric Olsen
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Comments on this articleComments
heh
on the "download and try before you buy" thing, i have done that with quite a few pc games. It's simply easier and cheaper, for me, to wait a few days/coupla weeks downloading a game and then try it out, than go into town, buy it, get it home, find it doesn't work/wasn't worth the money, and take it back for a refund.
if games were cheaper, they wouldn't have to be so good to be worth the money - indeed i ave a number of titles i've bought secondhand, or even new but reduced (i.e. from ebay i've just a day or two ago bought simcity4 and its addon rush hour, because overall it works out cheaper even than amazon's cheap price on the up-and-comnig deluxe version which is equivalent)
the likes of amazon do help, especially with sales like their new year's one. My guess is it won't be too long now before online retailers account for the largest share of music sales and possibly other media like DVDs and games (assuming they don't now)
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(Or ping: http://blogcritics.org/mt/tb/11924)
I found it interesting that the RIAA and MPA (and MPAA) have all been visiting my real estate website lately, possibly because of a Blogcritics posts about them. I have downloaded free tracks from artists' websites before, but I have never participated in file sharing. Call me stupid, but I do actually prefer buying my music, but I can see how someone may want to download a track to sample it, rather than purchasing a single. Who knows, maybe Jack Valenti is looking to buy a Florida home or condo, or they could be looking for some good, new and original talent. ;)
Real estate is so popular these days that I'm surprised no one in the entertainment industry has taken advantage of it. If they want to, I have a few interesting ideas for them.