How the RIAA expands its membership

A while back, Boycott-RIAA.com founder Bill Evans updated his list of RIAA companies from the RIAA website run-down and then, "Someone notified me that Matador Records was listed, but wasn't an RIAA member," says Evans.

"That rang a bell and I remembered I'd been through this once before and a quick email to Matador's Patrick Armory confirmed that it's still not an RIAA member.

"Patrick went on to say, 'Yes, the RIAA added us to their list again. I've now sent them three [count them] emails demanding that we be removed! But to no avail.'

Evans says he contacted Amy Weiss, the RIAA PR flak, and former Clinton deputy press secretary from back when the DMCA was passed, and asked her why, after three request from Patrick to remove the company from the RIAA's list, it was still there."

Within 48 hours, it had been removed and the confusion cleared up, Evans continues ........ "Or so we thought, because a short while later, I had an email from Lookout Records wanting to know why they were on our list.

"Christopher Appelgren told us in no uncertain terms that they are not a member of the RIAA, amd never have been and that in fact, they support many of Boycott-RIAA positions, as do their artists."

So why does the RIAA insist on adding non-RIAA labels to the list of members? Go to the RIAA site (if it hasn't been hacked again) and you'll see joining the association is a pretty elaborate process.

Word has it that there are other labels out there in the same boat and Evans has once again written to Amy Weiss asking how this can be - how does a company that isn't a member get on the RIAA get on list?

Inquiring minds want to know.