RIAA Apologizes for Incorrect Infringement Notice

theradixhunter writes "News.com is reporting that the RIAA has apologized to the Pennsylvania State University for sending a threatening letter making an incorrect allegations of copyright violations. It appears that the automated system that the RIAA uses picked the term "Usher" and the extenstion ".mp3" on an FTP site hosting the work of Professor Emeritus Peter Usher and falsely assumed that the files were songs by the musician Usher. The university accepted the apology saying "that this was an honest mistake by the recording industry" and Spokesman Tysen Kendig said Penn State "remains committed to working closely with the RIAA"."

Perfectly reasonable

[YellowElectricRat]

I'd be happy if the RIAA deleted every file in the world containing the strings 'Usher' and 'mp3'. Sure, there could be innocent casualties, but think of the lives that would be saved...

Ok, so score one for the RIAA

[Spazholio]

That makes it what, roughly a billion or so to go until they've atoned for stifling creativity and ruining music? Anyway, what kind of company would use software that sends out cease and desist letters automatically? Shouldn't there be at least SOME human intervention? That way, someone could say, "Hey, I've never heard of this Professor Usher. Did we just sign him? Maybe we should look into this. Or at least, I dunno...listen to the file first?"

I hope they accuse Darth Vader of piracy

[Anonymous Coward]

...because we know how he accepts apologies!

Meanwhile, in the back room...

[charon_on_acheron]

...Hillary Rosen is bent over the lap of the Dean of Penn State University, giving the first blowjob of her life, and begging for them to not file a $96-billion harrasment suit. As the post said, Penn State "remains committed to working closely with the RIAA." Yeah, I'm sure the entire Board of Directors is waiting in the hall so they can closely work her ass too.

I suppose....

[wo1verin3]

I suppose that this is too early to hope they're ending the shock and awe phase of their attack and moving in to the "we're sorry our bad" phase?

horrible apology

[asavage]

By way of additional apology, the RIAA said it will send Peter Usher an Usher CD and T-shirt "in appreciation of his understanding."

Worst apology ever.

Ha! Now that's ironic

[Phoenix666]

The RIAA suing a professor for violating the copyright of a band named Usher, for which they should be getting sued to death by the heirs of Edgar Allen Poe.

Ahem, no matter what I predict we will see the Fall of the House of Usher...

Re:Assasination

[offpath3]

I too would think twice if someone assassinated me.

Re:Why pay attention when your extorting?

[micq]

interesting.... maybe a honeypot for riaa? my voice, recorded over and over again, saying "What the fuck do you think your doing?" and published to the web as actual songs... then when they send me letters over and over again, I sue for harassment and undue mental stress... then change the server ip/name and start all over again...

It's so brilliant.

er... and oh yeah:
(3) profit.

Weird names are awsome!

[Savatte]

I have a friend named Billy G. Metallica-Sucks.

Ok maybe not. I don't really have any friends.

Re:Perhaps

[Moonshadow]

Better yet, virus-riddled files named Britney Spears - One More Time.mp3.exe - let them download and "check" them. ;)

Overloading the namespace.

[ktakki]

I suppose it's only a matter of time before the same thing happens to Professore Arturo Metallica of the University of Milan.

k.

Re:"Honest mistake" ?!?!?!?

[shepd]

RIAA man wants to speak with you for using the terms "Honest" and "Mistake".

Search results for Honest found "Rolling Stones", clearly a signed artist.

Search results for Mistake found "Sheryl Crow", also a signed artist.

Please do not encourage the use of the english language for furthering piracy anymore.

Re:MediaForce

[micq]

really? don't player hate?

Appology NOT accepted!

[pair-a-noyd]

Off with their heads!!

Yes, we do:

[Anonymous Coward]

::breathes::

::breathes:: What ::breathes:: in ::breathes:: the ::breathes:: name ::breathes:: of ::breathes:: the ::breathes:: force ::breathes:: do ::breathes:: you ::breathes:: think ::breathes:: you're ::breathes:: doing? ::breathes::

::outstretches hand::

::breathes::

Exciting MP3s on my site!

[Animats]

I'm waiting for the RIAA to find my MP3s of key sections of meetings of the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors.

Re:horrible apology

[cptgrudge]

Was I the only person that read/heard that in the Simpsons Comic Book Guy voice?

"Worst. Apology. Ever."

Hilary Rosen is a Child Molester

[Detritus]

Hilary Rosen is a human.
All child molesters are human.
Therefore, Hilary Rosen is a child molester.

This syllogism is brought to you by the RIAA Institute of Critical Thinking and Logic.

Re:Why pay attention when your extorting?

[Wordsmith]

D'oh, then Madonnna will sue you for infringing on her original masterpiece!

a little off-topic joke

[enos]

This reminds me of a joke:

Jason has a conversation with his new neighbour Pete:

J: So what do you do?
P: I teach deducive logic.
J: Huh?
P: Let me demonstrate. Do you have a dog?
J: Yes.
P: From this I deduce that you have a family?
J: Yeah.
P: And a wife?
J: Yeah.
P: And if you have a wife, I deduce that you are heterosexual.
J: That's amazing!

After this Jason visits his friend Chris:
J: I just found out this awesome field called deducive logic.
C: Say what?
J: Let me demonstrate. Do you have a dog?
C: No.
J: Then you must be gay.

Do your part to show you agree with the RIAA!

[teamhasnoi]

Find RIAA employees.
Hit them. In the face. Hard.
When asked why, respond, "You look like someone who owed me money. Guess not. Sorry. Here's a Ultimate Fighting Championship T-shirt and DVD."

It's great to be on board with the tactics used by our friendly copyright holders! Go Team!

simple way to prove their system doesn't work

[manual_overide]

cat /dev/urandom > /var/www/Britney_Spears_-_Greatest_Hits_Track01.mp 3

of course, that might actually be the same command they use to create their "music"

Re:Hosting Fake Files

[efuseekay]

Good idea. You might get free Britney T-shirts.

Re:finally

[outsider007]

in other news, professor bob metallica is still waiting for his apology.

Re:A Small Victory, Perhaps...

[LX.onesizebigger]

And this is why Slashdot should not be your only source of news.

Perjury?

[aechols]

Don't they make these claims under penalty of perjury? So they're guilty of perjury. Clearly if there's a human or primate that actually sends the notice and not just a computer program, then they screwed up. If there isn't they're just plain reckless. So where's the penalty part? Oops! Sorry, lets just forget that we did something wrong, umkay? Umkay.

Re:Hosting Fake Files

[geeklawyer]

great idea. heres an improvement. Actually provide an mp3, named as you suggest, with a recording of you saying "RIAA, what the fuck do you think you are doing?"

Apology?

[chibiyoukai]

An Usher CD and T-Shirt in "appreciation of his understanding" sounds more like a punishment than an apology.

Re:Hosting Fake Files

[clickety6]

It's already happening. Every time I download mp3s that are marked Britney Spears or Back Street Boys or some other recent artist, all I get is a completely crap song that nobody in their right mind would download for free let along pay for... Where are the real songs?!?