Not only is the response to the RIAA’s Clean Slate amnesty program for file sharers not receiving a glowing reception from users or the press, but there has already been a lawsuit filed against it as “misleading”:
- Eric Parke, an executive at a mortgage lending business, filed a lawsuit against the RIAA in state court in San Rafael, Calif., alleging that an amnesty program announced by the RIAA is misleading. Under its “clean-slate” program, announced Monday in tandem with the lawsuits against 261 alleged music pirates, the RIAA said it won’t prosecute file-sharers for their past actions if they make a written statement pledging not to trade music over the Internet anymore.
The complaint against the group says its amnesty program doesn’t protect participants from litigation by other groups. While the RIAA has said it won’t share with other groups the written affidavits it receives from users who participate in the amnesty program, the complain against RIAA says the information could easily be subpoenaed by other copyright holders or government prosecutors.
“The amnesty program does not provide for amnesty from a lawsuit,” said Ira Rothken, a San Rafael attorney representing Mr. Parke, who hasn’t been targeted by the recording industry for trading music online. [WSJ]
I didn’t even think of this aspect in my critique of the program – good job Eric (the other Eric).