Earlier this month we wrote about the University of Oregon and Oregon Attorney General's resistance to the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) legal demands for the names of students alleged to have illegally downloaded free music.
Now the Oregon AG has taken a step further, taking the offensive and filing legal papers demanding disclosure of the RIAA's investigative methods. The filing alleges that the RIAA may have spied on students and illegally obtained their Social Security numbers and other personal information.
An RIAA spokesperson responded with indignation, accusing the University of protecting a wave of piracy. The Association now says that student pirates need to be stopped for their own good, lest they accidentally put files like their bank records and tax info into the folders they share on P2P services.
It's good to know there's some one, the Oregon Attorney General, taking an aggressive stand against such stupidity. While some record companies are changing their tune about suing customers, it's hard to imagine what else the attack dogs at the RIAA would do if not things like this. I imagine they feel the same way when they show up for work each day. Readers interested in some smart discussion on the legal move should check out posts and their comments by Mike Masnick at TechDirt and New York City lawyers Ty Rogers and Ray Beckerman at their blog Recording Industry vs. The People.
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I sometimes feel that media companies do not know that how they handle this new distribution platform called internet. Hence, they come up with such comments. Note the comment by Universal Music CEO Doug Morris
"There's no one in the record industry that's a technologist. That's a misconception writers make all the time, that the record industry missed this. They didn't. They just didn't know what to do. It's like if you were suddenly asked to operate on your dog to remove his kidney. What would you do?"
I think they should stress more on how to use power of web platform to reach to consumers rather then fighting piracy which is atmost a short term solution.
Posted by: Mayank Kumar | December 1, 2007 1:22 PM
Perhaps one of the reasons for C.D. sales falling is the trash that the music industry is forcing down poples throat. Perhaps another reason is the high cost. Perhaps another reason is people only like a few songs of a particular arist on each released C.D. Perhaps the R.I.A.A. should get a clue!
Posted by: Bob | December 1, 2007 1:44 PM
This quote from a rather old page, but pertinent in that it shows that, from the beginning, this is all Bullicus from the RIAA:
"So the record industry cut their inventory (and artist investment) by 25 percent and sales only dropped 4.1 percent, even though the economy is at rock bottom. There were almost 12,000 fewer new releases for the consumer to choose from in 2001 than 1999. The record companies are making more money per release than ever."
I recommmend going and reading the entire post (no, it's not mine) for an interesting analysis from a few years ago.
Another quote from that article should perk up your ears:
"If piracy is the problem, why is it that sales didn't start declining until AFTER the RIAA had Napster shut down?"
Posted by: Jon | December 1, 2007 4:29 PM
I somewhat agree, it's wrong to spy on the students.
Posted by: JS | December 1, 2007 6:36 PM
The elite's government FEARS you!!!!!!
Their fear is manifested in the laws they pass. Here is a law banning what MANY of the Founders wrote is a RIGHT of citizens when a government no longer represents them:
Section 2385. Advocating overthrow of Government
Whoever knowingly or willfully advocates, abets, advises, or
teaches the duty, necessity, desirability, or propriety of
overthrowing or destroying the government of the United States or
the government of any State, Territory, District or Possession
thereof, or the government of any political subdivision therein, by
force or violence, or by the assassination of any officer of any
such government; or
Whoever, with intent to cause the overthrow or destruction of any
such government, prints, publishes, edits, issues, circulates,
sells, distributes, or publicly displays any written or printed
matter advocating, advising, or teaching the duty, necessity,
desirability, or propriety of overthrowing or destroying any
government in the United States by force or violence, or attempts
to do so; or
Whoever organizes or helps or attempts to organize any society,
group, or assembly of persons who teach, advocate, or encourage the
overthrow or destruction of any such government by force or
violence; or becomes or is a member of, or affiliates with, any
such society, group, or assembly of persons, knowing the purposes
thereof -
Shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than
twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for employment by
the United States or any department or agency thereof, for the five
years next following his conviction.
If two or more persons conspire to commit any offense named in
this section, each shall be fined under this title or imprisoned
not more than twenty years, or both, and shall be ineligible for
employment by the United States or any department or agency
thereof, for the five years next following his conviction.
As used in this section, the terms ''organizes'' and
''organize'', with respect to any society, group, or assembly of
persons, include the recruiting of new members, the forming of new
units, and the regrouping or expansion of existing clubs, classes,
and other units of such society, group, or assembly of persons.
The federal government is allowing MILLIONS of illegals to invade our country. Corporate America is becoming increasingly more powerful and influential. Yet, according to the government of for and by the elites YOU, a citizen, have to accept whatever the government does with NO recourse other than voting...... and there is sufficient proof that shows to me voting is worthless since the entrenched power structure ensures that the emplaced elite class can not be removed.
Several Founders specifically wrote of the people's right to abolish a government when it no longer represents them.
We are forced to live under an elite's TYRANNY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Obbop | December 1, 2007 10:33 PM
The last time I bought a CD was probably 9 years ago. The reason? Cost. Why spend $20USD on a CD? when the same CD's a two or three years before I stopped buying were $6-9 a disc. Sorry, their overpriced. Instead I've stayed legal at least but have been getting XM Radio for the last two years.
Posted by: Patrick | December 2, 2007 6:32 AM