Duke Demands Proof of Infringement From RIAA 159
NewYorkCountryLawyer writes "According to a report at p2pnet, Duke University has told the RIAA that it will no longer forward the RIAA's 'early settlement' letters to its students unless the RIAA submits 'evidence that someone actually downloaded from that student,' and said that 'if the RIAA can't prove that actual illegal behavior occurred, then we're not going to comply.' While it is good news that a university is requiring the RIAA to put up or shut up, the forwarding — or not forwarding — of letters is pretty insignificant. What I want to know is this: 'When the RIAA comes knocking with its Star Chamber, ex parte, 'John Doe' litigation to get the students' identities, is the University going to go to bat for the students and fight the litigation on the ground that it's based on zero evidence, and on the ground that the students weren't given prior notice and an opportunity to be heard?' Over 1,000 infringement notices were sent to Duke students in the last year."
Dang (Score:5, Funny)
For a minute there I thought this meant Duke Nukem Forever had been released, and it was about Duke fighting the RIAA in a court of law. Man, that would kick ass.
Can we get a new tag? (Score:2, Funny)
This might be better filed under fsckthatyoudontmakesense instead of suddenoutbreakofcommonsense
Re:Dang (Score:4, Funny)
From what I heard, someone from Duke administration stopped by the RIAA office and said "I have come here to chew bubble gum and to kick ass, and I am all out of bubble gum."
Re:cue vague legal question (Score:2, Funny)
It could be "cooperate with us or we'll sue the crap out of you. Nice school, would be a shame if it went bankrupt in court wouldn't it"?
Finally (Score:1, Funny)
Finally we see that some folks are recognizing that all this copyright infringement cannot possibly be taking place. The Internet is just way, way too slow to allow anyone to download music. At least with the kind of dial-up connection I have and all that spam.
And why would anyone accuse a college student of doing something wrong? These are the finest examples of humanity that exist on the face of the earth and there is no way any of them could ever be involved with downloading music without paying for it. Right?
So what could the problem be?
Re:Now that the heavy lifting is done... (Score:5, Funny)
Sure, Duke is bold now that NewYorkCountryLawyer and other lawyers stood their ground in a proverbial Battle of Thermopylae defending a bunch of homemakers and retirees against the RIAA army!
Why thank you, cenconce. I've always found inspiration from the brave men who resisted the Persian empire at Thermopylae.
Re:Curious... (Score:5, Funny)
They seemed a lot more decent than the people I've seen from the RIAA.
It's a low bar.
Re:Why not earlier? (Score:3, Funny)
Buddy, I was thoroughly amazed by the fact that you actually got a serious reply to your post. Because I didn't understand a bloody word you said.
What are you smoking? The other day, when I was in Amsterdam, I bought me a couple of grams of good Skunk and I couldn't manage to sound as incoherent, disjointed and whimsical as you just did.
When they tried to make you go to rehab, don't you think you should have said "Yes, yes, yes"?
Duke? which one (Score:1, Funny)
John Wayne?
The Duke of York (Prince Andrew)
The Duke of Edinburgh (Queen Elizabeths husband)
The Duke of Wellington (Led the British army against Napoleon)
Duke Leto Atriedes (father of Paul (Mud'dib))
or
Duke Nukem forever