RIAA Recommends Students Drop out of College 869
boarder8925 writes "An MIT student accused of copyright infringement has been documenting her struggles with the RIAA. Upon trying to negotiate her settlement, a representative told her that "the RIAA has been known to suggest that students drop out of college or go to community college in order to be able to afford settlements.""
Perfect... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Perfect... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Perfect... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:Perfect... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Perfect... (Score:4, Insightful)
Debtors Prison (Score:5, Informative)
Bad debtors were once jailed within 'Debtors Prison', being removed as functional members of society, until their debts were paid. Once this was proved to be ineffective, and as modern considerations on fair rights came to play, an effect coined as 'The Race of the Swiftest' occurred. Creditors would, upon learning of a company's misfortune, take legal action against a debtor and be granted a portion of the company's assets in compensation for their debts. While this was reasonably effective for such creditors, there was no remedy for those creditors who were not as 'swift' to learn of the insolvency soon enough.
As a result of this unfairness, various governments introduced Bankruptcy, such as Canada's 'Bankruptcy & Insolvency Act' and the US's 'Bankruptcy Act' (Chapter 11). The intention of these is to balance all interests, while being fair. They are all, in one form or another, intended to (a) give an honest but unfortunate debtor a 'fresh start' by relieving of them of the burden of most of their debts, and (b) to repay creditors in an orderly and fair manner using the resources of the debtor (read: liquidate assets and distribute to creditors based on a fair order of security and distributed evenly within each class).
Just in case debtors prison sounds confusing
-M
Re:Perfect... (Score:5, Funny)
I finally figured out the mystery why programmers always use the entire bottle of conditioner when taking a shower... Thank you!
Re:Perfect... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Perfect... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Perfect... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Perfect... (Score:5, Funny)
Re:full circle (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Perfect... (Score:3, Insightful)
Piracy, schmiracy. I don't see any eyepatches, parrots, or bottles of grog being passed around. On the other hand, copyright infringement isn't legal and the OP's statement doesn't make it so. But s/he's still correct - it's gonna happen. With every subsequent action, the RIAA continues to prove their irrelevancy in the modern world. They need to just die already...
Re:Perfect... (Score:3, Insightful)
Newspeak is doubleplusgood.
Re:Perfect... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Perfect... (Score:5, Funny)
You should let them know this. I'll bet no one in history has ever delivered that revolutionary message to college students or teenagers before. Just think of all the lives that could have been saved if a innovative thinker like yourself had been born in an earlier age.
I'm going to go tell my daughter to not have sex or do drugs right now. If only I had thought of it sooner!
-Eric
Re:Perfect... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Perfect... (Score:5, Interesting)
I'm all for prosecuting people who break the law -- but in a court system, not by an under-the-table system that borders on (or may be) blackmail.
--
Evan
Re:Perfect... (Score:5, Insightful)
Yeah, and on that note, we should also hang all jaywalkers ! Sure, it may seem rough, but jaywalking is against the law, and anyone who breaks the law is a black-hearted subhuman scum and deserves to lose their life ! Down with this silly idea that the punishment should be in some proportion to the crime ! I say: death penalty for everything !
Doing otherwise might mean that some corporation doesn't get quite as much profits than it might have gotten in some alternative reality, and that is much more important than some antiquated concept of "justice" or "fairness". Only an unpatriotic terrorist communist hippie in his drug-induced haze would disagree !
Hmphhh... To think that the punishment can be too harsh... What's this world coming to ?
Re:Perfect... (Score:4, Insightful)
RIAA has some learning to do (Score:4, Interesting)
I download music from the internet quite frequently, if I like the song I have downloaded I will usually buy the album if I don't like it I delete it, does this mean I am commiting a crime? In my case p2p has caused my to buy more cds than I usually would have if I hadn't of been exposed to certain artists and songs. Is this common I really don't know perhaps other people don't purchase cds by artists they like personally I like to support musicians I like.
One great example my favorite group collective soul release an album entirely self financed, the day it was released I was able to find tracks on p2p which I downloaded and listened to constantly, until my next paycheck came through at which point I went out and purchased 5 copies of the album 2 for me 3 for various family members, I did the same with two of their previous albums, I own every single album they have release in some cases more than one copy of the album, it gets interesting when you consider I discovered this group through p2p in the first place.
Re:RIAA has some learning to do (Score:5, Insightful)
I think the point here is that RIAA's methods are objectionable. From what I've read about them, I get the impression the RIAA is like the secret police in the way it works. People should be making a stand outside courts - like boycotting or setting up organizations to oppose RIAA.
downloading music is NOT illegal dammit (Score:3, Informative)
Last time I checked, downloading isn't a crime, regardless of what the **AA folks say. Uploading, however, is. This is why you can download freely from such sites as that russian mp3 site (disregarding any other international issues such as it's legal there, etc).
If you'll notice, no one has been busted for downloading. They have been busted for sharing (distribution). That the part
Re:RIAA has some learning to do (Score:5, Informative)
Re:RIAA has some learning to do (Score:4, Insightful)
The problem here is that there is too much product on the market to support a cd distribution system. P2P and iTunes services provide a fast and convenient way to both find and listen to new music. Every spent an hour and a half at a record store looking for a particular album? Lord knows I have and its annoying as hell. Of course the only reason I was willing to spend that time to find it was because I had listened to a few songs I downloaded. It is a weak justification but I am provided no alternative. The one exception is of course satellite radio; the last place I can listen to new music without being inundated with advertising.
FM Radio wouldn't be so bad if they broke up their advertising so it wouldn't make it sometimes more than a minute between songs. There is nothing worse than enjoying a song, having it come to the end, and then hearing a loud ad pushing a product you couldn't care less about. You want more music, not just one song at a time.Back to the issue at hand, the RIAA has criminalized the issue and in the process alienated a lot of their customers. One need only to look at the top selling software to see that pirating does not hurt sales but in fact helps it. Think how much Windows was pirated in the past and how much other software has profited from having a computer that can run it. Music is obviously different since it only has one step, nothing to build off past works.
The RIAA needs to stop wasting time and money on this and start working on an online distribution system that works without killing their customers. They want format change after format change, the only problem is existing formats are digital. My father repurchased a lot of his LPs on CD and has since converted almost all of his cds to MP3s which he will always be able to listen to. Why would he want to repurchase it ever again?If they was a subscription based revenue stream then they should provide one, not force people to spuradically rebuy the stuff they've been enjoying for years. Until they realize this people will download illegal software. Might add downloading is in no way criminal, its the uploading part that is in question. Downloading is fair use, just like I can copy a tape and give it to a friend perfectly legally.
Re:RIAA has some learning to do (Score:3, Interesting)
True, but you miss the point. Yes, it helps sales but they don't care about sales, they care about profit. Max profit comes from having everyone listening to the same music. P2P and other post modern music distribution makes that impossible. They need you to buy Madonna, if y
Re:RIAA has some learning to do (Score:4, Insightful)
People hate change. Corporations hate change even more. They have never operated in a "free market" and have no desire to.
The RIAA isn't even the record companies that they represent. They are paid to represent the industry as a whole. That interest is selling a million copies of the same thing to everyone. They make the most $$ when the record stores all sell the same 30 products. I could write a 10 page screed on the law of large numbers to prove that point, but frankly nobody cares except investors and economists. It's the mega-platinum sellers that subsidise everything else according to the current (obsolete) business model. It really will be a bit sad to lose that.
Jaince Ian has written about how cool it is to be truly wicked famous. We are going to lose that as part of this transition. It's kind of like losing the romance of whaling. I don't miss it, but Moby Dick was a hell of a book. We did lose something.
The RIAA can't stop that, but their clear mission is to stop it or die trying. They *will* die trying, and it won't be pretty. The Hillary Rosen's and Jack Valenti's will cash their checks, sangine that they have done the best they possibly could at something that had no chance of success and move on to the next gig.
This industry is going to die. But it is going to go out kicking and screaming like every other doomed business model that used to work so very profitably.
Re:RIAA has some learning to do (Score:3, Insightful)
As the Napster case, and many other cases have held, downloaders infringe on the reproduction right. There is a question as to who is responsible for downloading, but the Marobie-FL case puts the responsibility on the person who caused the downloading to occur; generally, this is the downloader. In the rare case that someone hacked your computer and made it download files, it would be the fault of that person. But if you're just using ordinary P2P software, it's your own fault.
Up
Re:RIAA has some learning to do (Score:5, Informative)
The key to 1008 in this context is that there has to be the use of a digital audio recording device or digital audio recording medium. The question is, what are those things? Well, we have some important definitions in 1001. Usually the sort of person who cites 1008 will always forget to have checked 1001, to make sure that 1008 actually says what it appears on first glance to say.
So, in order for a computer to be a digitial audio recording device, it must have a digital recording function which is designed or marketed for the primary purpose of making digital audio copied recordings for private use.
This is not the case, however. Ordinary personal computers are general purpose devices; their digital recording functions are the same, whether the data being recorded is text, music, speech, pictures, etc. Thus, it doesn't qualify for 1008.
Similarly, in order for a hard drive to be a digital audio recording medium, it must be primarily marketed or most commonly used by consumers for the purpose of making digital audio copied recordings by use of a digital a
Re:RIAA has some learning to do (Score:4, Interesting)
Sure, they're not a government agency, but in many ways it would be better if they were; we'd probably have more control over them then, and they wouldn't be able to pour money into the political system in the way they do.
But to say they're not "in" government, in terms of having their fingers pulling various strings, is a mistake.
There's one more possibility there. (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:RIAA has some learning to do (Score:3, Insightful)
Anti-**AA lawyer "Your honor, I am making a stand in court"
Judge - "What is your stance"
Anti-**AA lawyer "To put restrictions on the **AA, a group who malignantly, vilely, evily, uncaringly, and in a mean spirited fashion sue people who pirate music/movies"
Judge - "Isn't pirating illegal, and punishable by law"
Anti-**AA lawyer "Well yes but..."
Judge - "Whats your point son"
Anti-**AA lawyer "The **AA do it malignantly, vilely, evily, un
Re:RIAA has some learning to do (Score:5, Funny)
Anti-**AA lawyer "Your Honor, These *.AA people are threatening lawsuits all up in here. They have no evidence. They should make their peace.."
Judge - "Wow.. your right. Case dismisssed!"
*.AA - " but but PIRATES!!"
Judge - "Pirates sail the sea son, now take your extortion racket and leave town"
*.AA - * whine whine lumbering dinosuar of the old world noises *
Judge - "Thats it motherfuckers, you going down!!"
*Judge pulls out sawed off shotty and jumps up on his bench*
Judge - " Pistol grip pump motherfuckers!! "
* *.AA lawyers head asplode *
* Lawyer falls down, a crimson fountain coats everything in recently depreasureized blood. A leather satchel falls to the floor *
Judge - "Well now you dirty slime-yer, whats this?"
* Judge opens the satchel and a small white kitten tumbles out*
Kitten - "mew!"
Judge - " Those evil bastards, they were going to eat that kitten "
* Anti-**AA lawyer steps onto the severed skull of *.AA lawyer crushing it to dust*
Judge - " your kitten eating hording culture days are over. Set my people free! "
* all the peoples of the world get together and share their collective culture and world peace is declared (also bu$h gets cancer and dies)*
-FIN-
Re:RIAA has some learning to do (Score:3, Funny)
Watch out, they'll sue you for violating lyric copyright.
Re:RIAA has some learning to do (Score:3, Insightful)
Yes. You are breaking the law. Whether you get caught or not or whether or not it is a good law is a different question.
It's not a crime (Score:5, Funny)
It's not a crime. It's perfectly legal to voluntarily give money to an illegal price-fixing cartel, although the morality is obviously questionable.
A simple matter of intimidation (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:RIAA has some learning to do (Score:3)
Re:RIAA has some learning to do (Score:5, Interesting)
Just a reminder to those who might want to look it up in the dictionary:
extort n. To obtain from another by coercion or intimidation.
The threat and coercion being: Expensive legal fees or expensive settlement. For a person of limited resources, this is legal extortion. That's why some forms of torte reform are unreasonable and unworkable.
And if the fee isn't paid the RIAA gets to file liens or even get the defendant thrown in jail. Also as a reminder liens affect credit ratings which affect loan rates which affect future income... the snowball effect of this really is huge.
I would contend that the REAL piracy is a social piracy on the part of the RIAA. In my opinion, they're plundering our society for short-term monetary gains on what amounts to be bad business processes practices by the RIAA's members. I understand they want to make a buck (who doesn't?), but at what cost to society?
My apologies to the Pastafarians out there for putting the RIAA in the same ball field as the Flying Spaghetti Monster. His wrath will be mighty and oregano flavored.
Re:RIAA has some learning to do (Score:3, Insightful)
So if $evil_company makes a law that means it is illegal to breathe without paying them for the air, should everyone on the planet be punished? No!
Sometimes it is the law that is wrong, not the offender. That's why laws are changed all the time. The RIAA has found a loophole in the law which allows them to get away with price-fixing, so it's the law that needs to be fixed. Soon.
Re:RIAA has some learning to do (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:RIAA has some learning to do (Score:5, Insightful)
Sera
Blah (Score:3, Insightful)
Oh, that's the ONLY "extortion"? Oh my, how mistaken I've been, the RIAA is just worried about doing justice, how heroic of them!</sarcasm>
And, quite honesty, in 2006, if you're being sued for distributing someone else's work on a network that makes them available
Re:RIAA has some learning to do (Score:5, Insightful)
You misspelled "accused". Glad I could clear that up for you.
It is extortion (Score:5, Insightful)
This is extortion.
Why? Because it does not depend on whether the person has actually done anything wrong. Instead the RIAA wields a side-effect of our justice system (cost) as a weapon against whoever they please. Whether they can prove anything makes little difference, it is simply a matter of cost.
Consider this: although piracy can be prosecuted as a crime, the RIAA never follows that path. They always go civil. This way they can neatly avoid the solution of a court-appointed attorney, and they do not have to deal with the police and DA, who have a pesky habit of actually evaluating the merits of cases before going forward. By keeping it civil the RIAA is free to file against whoever the hell they want, no matter how slim the evidence.
By initiating lawsuits against those who willfully, without the consent of the copyright holders, infringe copyrights, it's hard to see how they're "alienating their core market".
How do you know that the defendants are in fact willfully infringing copyrights? They never have the cash to make their case and fight it out in court. From my perspective it's pretty alienating to know that I could be taken to the cleaners for thousands by an industry association, even if I did nothing wrong.
Re:RIAA has some learning to do (Score:3, Insightful)
You're right - in this case. However, the problem
This is ridiculous (Score:5, Insightful)
This has to stop.
Bingo. (Score:5, Insightful)
You can't simultaneously support something you find evil and retain a shred of credibility, so just stop. If you can't stop and are willing to break the law for your fix, I humbly suggest that you quite literally have a substance abuse problem and should seek professional help or a twelve-step program or something.
Hell, spend your CD money on booze and then join AA so you can sit around and blame the RIAA for your alcoholism.
Re:Bingo. (Score:5, Insightful)
breaking the law != doing something wrong.
The law is a ass. -- Charles Dickens
Re:Bingo. (Score:5, Insightful)
Hell, spend your CD money on booze...
Funny you should mention booze. So do you also think Prohibiton would have been rescinded if nobody had broken the law?
Re:Sorry, no. (Score:3, Insightful)
Music's impact on the human mind is quite profound. It can alter mood, attention span and many other brain functions. For many people there is a primal, subconscious need for music. This can even be seen in cultures that are not exposed to the marketing hype that consumer-driven societies are. You can point to the marketing (MTV, movie tie-ins, etc), but what I believe is more important is th
Re:This is ridiculous (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:This is ridiculous (Score:3, Insightful)
And when their profits fall, they play the victim card again and start cranking out ever increasing numbers of lawsuits. As long as they have legislators in their pockets and shyster lawyers that'll pressure settlements out of people, this will continue.
Re:This is ridiculous (Score:5, Insightful)
Sorry, but you're wrong. All the RIAA needs is for someone to tell them (maybe your own ISP, erroneously) that your IP address was associated with an illegal music download. Doesn't matter if they got it wrong. Only way you can prove it is to go to court, at which time the court will order your computer seized to be scoured for evidence, and you will incur thousands of dollars in legal bills even if you win (unless someone takes your case pro bono). Alternatively, you can shell out a few thousand to the RIAA and it will all go away.
Re:This is ridiculous (Score:3, Funny)
Maybe it would be interesting to either report the IP address of an executive of RIA or spoof the ip address. See how long it takes them to figure out they are suing themselves
Well college students pirate more often so (Score:5, Funny)
Okay... (Score:5, Insightful)
To agree to the settlement is basically to agree that you wronged them in some way, and should pay them. Once you've agreed to that, how you actually pay the settlement isn't their problem. They may make suggestions, some of which you might find distasteful or even absurd, but the bottom line is they don't care how you pay a settlement you agreed to, so long as you pay it.
slashdotted already... (Score:5, Funny)
Ah, I KNEW the RIAA had the best interests of the (Score:2)
She Ought To Be Able to Return the "Property" (Score:2)
Obviously my opinion, and obviously not RIAA or Record Label's opinion, but do they really gain over the next 20 years by doing this?
Think not!
Knee-jerk reaction? (Score:2)
The person accused has given up their right to defend herself in court and in doing so has all but admitted to 'wrong doing.' This is pretty much what they deserve. They OWE that money once they enter into a settlement agreement. The fact that they are making any suggestion at all is irrelevant. It does, however, serve to make them seem all the more dark and evil.
She would have been be
Re:Knee-jerk reaction? (Score:2)
Unbelievable (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Unbelievable (Score:3, Informative)
Re:Unbelievable (Score:3, Insightful)
(Besides, from what I understand, there are relatively few lawyers involved anyway. It's regular employees or contractors who find infringers and offer canned settlements. It wouldn't usually get bumped up to a lawyer unless someone wouldn't settle.)
Re:Unbelievable (Score:3, Insightful)
Historical precedent the RIAA is looking at (Score:2)
TFA (Score:4, Informative)
By Cassi Hunt
Either since the day I visited my first aquarium or the day Goldie came into my family's life, our parents have told us not to tap the glass of the fish tank. It's cruel to Goldie -- I understand and respect that. I mean, heck, I am a vegetarian. But would we have many qualms over a little water perturbation if Goldie were, say, a bloodthirsty shark? I'd knock on that glass to the near-cracking point. And in that spirit, I decided to call up my new friend at the RIAA negotiation hotline again. (Hereafter I'll refer to her as Bowie, which means "yellow haired," as I'm pretty sure that's the case.)
Last time I spoke with Bowie, the conversation was pretty much over after she named $3750 as the settlement amount. (I haven't actually agreed to settle yet.) So when I called her again, I asked -- again -- about how to negotiate that amount. I counted on the fact that self-important types wouldn't be inclined to remember a lowly pirate like me. Bowie didn't disappoint. She launched into her spiel about how the RIAA doesn't negotiate settlements. I told her that it was too much to ask for thousands of dollars from a college student who only makes just enough from term and summer employment to still come out a couple thousand in debt.
Bowie replied that the RIAA was oh-so-kind enough to offer a six month repayment plan. At this point, I was beginning to speculate on Bowie's hair color, and decided to switch tactics. I concisely and calmly explained how the situation was ridiculous: they weren't offering a settlement, they were issuing an ultimatum! Let us screw you over gently now, or with chains and whips in court. Surely there must be some flexibility for individual cases.
Well, she replied, they do make allowances if something like a medical emergency comes up. Now we're getting somewhere. "And who would I talk to about a situation like that, because I'd like to talk to them now."
"Me," she replied. Ever feel like your nose has just been flattened by something large and solid? I mean, besides the doors at 77 Mass. Ave. "But you're not in a situation like that."
Oh, but I am. The Institvte has left me with severe bouts of p-set-induced insomnia and a case of stuck-to-desk-itis that recurs two to three times in a semester, then again just before break. And my wallet certainly takes a hit for it.
But as much as I tried to argue that I was in as unique a situation as someone with medical expenses, there was no getting through. Bowie even had the audacity to say, "In fact, the RIAA has been known to suggest that students drop out of college or go to community college in order to be able to afford settlements."
Are. You. Shitting. Me.
There you have it, fellow Techsters: proof of the fantastic levels of absurdity to which the RIAA attack has sunk. The Recording Industry of America would rather see America's youth deprived of higher education, forever marring their ability to contribute personally and financially to society -- including the arts -- so that they may crucify us as examples to our peers. To say nothing of wrecking our lives in the process. I finally understand what the RIAA meant when they told me "stealing music is not a victimless crime" -- the victims hang for all to see.
Please, RIAA -- if any competent representative happens to enjoy flipping through The Tech -- please tell me Bowie is a moronic tool who can't help what the Superior Gray Coverage Golden Blonde hair dye does to her mental facilities. Please tell me you actually care about the futures of the age demographic that buys most of your music (http://www.riaa.com/news/marketingdata/pdf/2004c
Sure, if you commit a crime against someone, you should be held accountable. But I find it horrifying that anyone would single-mindedly and without compassion process people like a meat grinder set to purée. So while the RIAA continues to play the part of shark, I'll continue to stand behind the glass, tapping away, wondering which of us is on display.
Re:TFA (she's an asshat) (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:TFA (no, you're an asshat) (Score:3, Insightful)
Also, she's implying that she's a veggie because she's kind to animals, not the other way around.
The woman with the ha
Re:TFA (she's an asshat) (Score:3, Insightful)
You seem to be missing the difference between justice and law.
Everyone knows that laws are hard and fast rules, but when you go before a Judge, it's to receive justice... as justice is a much more flexible concept than "the law".
If you take justice out of the "Justice System", you lose almost all of the fairness present in the sys
When is the RICO lawsuit? (Score:2)
Karma to burn! (Score:5, Interesting)
Personal responsibility (Score:4, Insightful)
We all have to make hard choices every day.
The last time I broke a speeding law, it was pretty bogus. I still paid for the ticket and took the classes. IMHO- that particular speeding ticket set up was unfair (basically 70mph
She chose to download songs. She probably also foolishly didn't use programs like peer guardian. She also got unlucky.
Yes- Riaa are weasels. But by now, surely we ALL know that if you download copyrighted material you are risking a 3kish fine (or being ruined in court if you tried to fight it).
Re:Personal responsibility (Score:5, Insightful)
Allow me to clarify --- if someone accuses you of downloading copyrighted material, you are risking a the fine; regardless of anything so sticky as the truth of wether or nor you actually did it.
The RIAA doesn't need to prove anything. They just claim it, demand a settlement, and strong-arm you into settling. They are never obligated to prove a damned thing. And since it's a civil matter, they know it's cheaper to settle even if you're innocent.
I could claim you're a child molester, but since I have no basis to make the claim, it would be unfair to tar you with that brush (this is a metaphor, not a personal attack, I'm sure you're a perfectly nice person around children).
What if someone who legitimately has NOT downloaded material is accused by the RIAA? They're expected to settle out of court, accept responsibility and blame -- or, they spend a godawful amount of money defending themselves.
People hate these suits from the RIAA because they are brough forth without evidence, without any objective 3rd party, and a whole passle of cranky lawyers. I've said before, the RIAA is effectively acting as their own court system without supervision. And, they can effectively do any damned thing they want to any poor schmuck whose ISP was strong-armed into giving up their information.
The fact that there are no checks and balances on the way this is done, means it's a situation that's just rife with chances for abuse. Oooh, the latest Brittney SPears album didn't sell well? Fine, we'll just make up a couple of people to sue and recoup our losses. It would be no different from the complete vapour trail they provide now.
Any situation in which your accuser seems to automatically be able to force you to settle for thousands of dollars, or be bankrupted in court, is completely broken.
Now, it sounds like the person in this article may have actually downloaded stuff. But if, and I can guaran-f'in-tee I've never downloaded music, I was accused of this same thing, I'd be left with the bullshit choice of settling and accepting guilt, or fighting it and paying through the nose.
Music industry == evil. (Score:3, Insightful)
1. Music is too expensive. I can buy a DVD of a Movie for the same price as a CD. Don't give the crap about how I will use the CD more then the DVD that has NOTHING to do with the cost to produce the product.
2. I can not find any music I really want to buy. I have gone to Launch to see what new artists are out. Nothing really grabs me. I listen to the radio. Nothing really new there. The fact that concert sales are also dropping should make it clear it is the product and not the piracy that is causing the issue.
3. I really would love to see the record companies get a real hard look from the government. Their accounting, business practices, and yes dealing in drugs. How many recording artists have died from drug use? How many of them have had drugs provided to them by employees of the the music industry? This will never happen. They Music Industry will hide behind "artistic" freedom and start screaming about how it is just like McCarthy in 50s.
Evil (Score:4, Insightful)
I do think content producers (and software writers for that matter) need protection, but that?
Ask yourself, if you worked your butt off for some software and someone who is not willing to pay for it and would not use it if they had to but copied it and offered it for share, should they be made to drop out of college to pay for the settlement?
Re:Evil (Score:5, Informative)
WTF are you guys doing? (Score:3, Interesting)
Are these fucks out of their mind? Drop out of school or go to community college? This would be horrible advice to anyone going to college, but this is a friggin MIT student. You know, the type of people that come up with some of the coolest shit ever. The type of people that helped develop the technologies the RIAA is exploiting right now.
Did anyone at the RIAA think of what it would be like to piss these people off? I mean, this type of thing could not only unite the MIT campus into taking offensive action, but the whole lot of prestigious technical Universities as well.
Plus, the run of the mill uneducated citizen can figure this one out. "MIT is where the smart people go. The RIAA says that they want this student to drop out so they can pay them. What the hell."
I sure hope the PR guy for the RIAA drops his intestines when he gets this news.
From the *AA's perspective.... (Score:3, Insightful)
Like all "bill collectors", they want you to agree with them in this. "Paying me is the most important thing you can do with your money. A nice, expensive college is optional. Any college at all is optional. Food is optional. Paying me is mandatory."
It's a strong negotiation position, that's all. If you make the mistake of agreeing without pushing back...well...remind me again, who's quickly parted from his money?
I'm actually a little bit surprised part of the *AA's bill collector's spiel didn't start "Do you have life insurance..."
How You Can Fight RIAA (Score:5, Insightful)
1. Write your congressman - you can even do it via email. Follow this link [citizen.org] for a really simple way to do that. Will they listen? If enough of you complain they will. (Don't be negative and say democracy doesn't work.)
2. When you talk to your friends, let them know this is going on. Believe it or not, a lot of people don't know about this issue. The more people you tell, the more this becomes an issue.
3. This stuff is making the mainstream news. When you see this issue come up in a newspaper, write a letter to the editor about it. More people read letters to the editor than articles in the paper. Tell people the ideas in this message to get them to not support RIAA.
4. Complain on artist websites and give artists bad press. Not planning on buying the latest Bruce Springsteen CD? Why don't you write him and tell him you're not doing it because he's on a RIAA label. Big artists are not "victims" of decisions by their labels.
5. Buy indie labels and let people know you're buying indie labels.
6. Buy a t-shirt about this. Here's some to choose from:
#1 [jinx.com], #2 [cafepress.com], and #3 [cafepress.com]
Your other alternative is to not give a fuck like everyone else. Everyone has to have their issue and maybe this one isn't yours. Hopefully I've given you some ideas for getting involved about something though.
Are you part of the problem? (Score:3, Insightful)
I am not suggesting that you stop buying CDs! Although I do suggest that you do not purchase new CDs from the companies that contribute to this problem. In addition to boycott, there are other legal ways to make your point. Use RIAA Radar [magnetbox.com] to see if an album is tainted; tell your friends about the service. Buy directly from small artists. Browse MySpace to find new stuff by indie bands. Go to Used CD stores. Tell people about how you spend money on music and how you will not spend money on music. Warn people about corrupt Sony CDs and whatever the next violation is. Tell people what copyright was supposed to mean versus what it means today.
You may not topple the giant alone, but when the daughter of a senator learns about the issue and feels strongly about it, when an exec of a smaller music label makes *less* money with the cartel and drops out of the RIAA, when a cavalier journalist with CNN or Fox hears about today's story and decides to air it, you've made a difference.
Another alternative to CDs (Score:3, Interesting)
And as you play your happy little tunes you also get a great deal of satisfaction in knowing that you've become the RIAA's ultimate nightmare, an artistically and culturally liberated producer of music who will never again have need of their crap.
Some Good Advice (Score:5, Informative)
2. You will not go to jail for non-payment of a civil debt. However, they may find a way to withdraw the funds from your assets (bank account, car, etc.)
More info on this case (Score:3, Informative)
Run Over by the RIAA [mit.edu] (a previous article)
Xanga site [xanga.com]
I thought it was interesting that she got busted for sharing on i2hub -- I was surprised when I heard of pending MPAA lawsuits against movie swappers on i2. I'm still not quite sure how the *IAA infiltrated I2, I presume they must have just paid off some undergrads to act as a proxy onto the network. It was a sad day when i2hub got shut down, it was the only cool I2 application if nothing else.
Also, Kudos to MIT for apparently at least trying to delay giving up the student's name. I know that, at my Uni at least, the IT admins have no love for the RIAA lawyers, though there's not a whole lot you can do against an army of lawyers.
Just in case, article text (Score:4, Informative)
Run Over by the RIAA Don...t Tap the Glass
By Cassi Hunt
Either since the day I visited my first aquarium or the day Goldie came into my family's life, our parents have told us not to tap the glass of the fish tank. It's cruel to Goldie -- I understand and respect that. I mean, heck, I am a vegetarian. But would we have many qualms over a little water perturbation if Goldie were, say, a bloodthirsty shark? I'd knock on that glass to the near-cracking point. And in that spirit, I decided to call up my new friend at the RIAA negotiation hotline again. (Hereafter I'll refer to her as Bowie, which means "yellow haired," as I'm pretty sure that's the case.)
Last time I spoke with Bowie, the conversation was pretty much over after she named $3750 as the settlement amount. (I haven't actually agreed to settle yet.) So when I called her again, I asked -- again -- about how to negotiate that amount. I counted on the fact that self-important types wouldn't be inclined to remember a lowly pirate like me. Bowie didn't disappoint. She launched into her spiel about how the RIAA doesn't negotiate settlements. I told her that it was too much to ask for thousands of dollars from a college student who only makes just enough from term and summer employment to still come out a couple thousand in debt.
Bowie replied that the RIAA was oh-so-kind enough to offer a six month repayment plan. At this point, I was beginning to speculate on Bowie's hair color, and decided to switch tactics. I concisely and calmly explained how the situation was ridiculous: they weren't offering a settlement, they were issuing an ultimatum! Let us screw you over gently now, or with chains and whips in court. Surely there must be some flexibility for individual cases.
Well, she replied, they do make allowances if something like a medical emergency comes up. Now we're getting somewhere. "And who would I talk to about a situation like that, because I'd like to talk to them now."
"Me," she replied. Ever feel like your nose has just been flattened by something large and solid? I mean, besides the doors at 77 Mass. Ave. "But you're not in a situation like that."
Oh, but I am. The Institvte has left me with severe bouts of p-set-induced insomnia and a case of stuck-to-desk-itis that recurs two to three times in a semester, then again just before break. And my wallet certainly takes a hit for it.
But as much as I tried to argue that I was in as unique a situation as someone with medical expenses, there was no getting through. Bowie even had the audacity to say, "In fact, the RIAA has been known to suggest that students drop out of college or go to community college in order to be able to afford settlements."
Are. You. Shitting. Me.
There you have it, fellow Techsters: proof of the fantastic levels of absurdity to which the RIAA attack has sunk. The Recording Industry of America would rather see America's youth deprived of higher education, forever marring their ability to contribute personally and financially to society -- including the arts -- so that they may crucify us as examples to our peers. To say nothing of wrecking our lives in the process. I finally understand what the RIAA meant when they told me "stealing music is not a victimless crime" -- the victims hang for all to see.
Please, RIAA -- if any competent representative happens to enjoy flipping through The Tech -- please tell me Bowie is a moronic tool who can't help what the Superior Gray Coverage Golden Blonde hair dye does to her mental facilities. Please tell me you actually care about the futures of the age demographic that buys most of your music (http://www.riaa.com/news/marketingdata/pdf/2004co nsumerprofile.pdf [riaa.com]). Your evil pirates are people too, people who enjoy music and almost always still purchase it legitimately. Each has an individual life and circumstances that deserve c
Re:Just in case, article text (Score:5, Interesting)
Don't take thier crap and stand up to them firm. Even if you don't fully understand what they are doing, act like you are in control and they can't win. If you press forward this way, they can't win.
Re:Don't do the CRIME if you can't do the TIME (Score:5, Funny)
So the solution is simple: hold up a record store, pay the RIAA with the proceeds, and keep the rest to yourself.
Re:Just in case, article text (Score:3, Interesting)
Possibly. But the question is, can you prove it in a court of law with lawfully obtained evidence?
There are plenty on guilty mob bosses and criminals out there who are probably guilty, but we live in a society that demands proof beyond reasonable doubt in order for someone to be convicted. And the methods used to obtain that proof cannot themselves be unlawful.
How can the RIAA prove this student downloaded the files? Do they hav
Re:Just in case, article text (Score:3, Interesting)
Not sure how it works in Massachusetts, but in New Hampshire jury trials aren't awarded for civil cases unless the damage is $25,000 or greater. And it's not $150,000, they've agreed to "settle" for around $3,000.
And just because you're not rich doesn't mean you automatically get a public defender in
The funny thing is... (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:The funny thing is... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:The funny thing is... (Score:3, Informative)
Noooo (was:Get a lawyer...) (Score:3, Informative)
Re:MIT to community college? (Score:3, Funny)
Reminds me of a friend who was born in Spain and took Spanish in high school. His halfwit teacher could't figure out how a guy with a last name of Perez could score near 100% on every test.
Re:MIT to community college? (Score:4, Insightful)
question 1. Did you download copyrighted material without monetary recompense inviolation of current civil law? (notice how I avoid the use of the words "steal" or "pirate", nor did I use the word illegal)
question 2. Are you not an adult, legally responsible for your actions?...
You see, I have many things in life that I need, like my house, which I need as much as this person needs his/her education. I could get a cheaper house, she/he could get a cheaper education. If I were to be hit with a lawsuit that would surely bankrupt me, I would be forced to sell my house (or give it up in other ways) As an adult, I am responsible for my actions, and if I take actions that endanger the stability of my life, and those things in my life that I consider important, I do so knowing that I may be called upon to live up to that obligation. College is not just a place to get the book knowledge, its a place to learn to be an adult. This is a big lesson.
You violated the law, you must make restitution. Either settle for what they want, or take your chance with the court, like an adult. No sympathy.
Re:Why pay at all? (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Best. Advice. Ever. (Score:5, Insightful)
Sure, because all businesses succeed (hint: less than 1 in 10 do). Or because it's easy to get financing for a business plan when you're 18 -- don't forget that student loans and other financial aid are pretty much guaranteed. Or because people at the age of 18 all have the skills to run a business.
That "education" you speak of so disparagingly is what gives us a workforce that innovates, that has the knowledge necessary for complex jobs... like in the fields medicine (practice or research, you pick), or engineering, etc.
Re:Best. Advice. Ever. (Score:3, Insightful)
Your experience is obviously out of line with what the rest of the country experiences.
" I've had 2 failures out of about 20 that I ran in my entire life, so I feel I'm ahead."
Good for you. But that doesn't mean anyone else can also expect a success rate like that.
"You can start a business for less than US$20,000 right now"
Depends on the business. Some require far more capital than that.
"That's funny because I've worked with medi
Re:How do we tell who is with RIAA (Score:5, Informative)