Ohio University and the RIAA
p2pnet.net news:- Ohio University’s Center for Student Legal Services says it’ll consult with, but won’t represent, students being sued by Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG through their RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America).
The university says it’s Number One on the RIAA hit list, Ohio University having had more RIAA p2p file sharing notices than any other college in the US this academic year.
Now, “Lawsuits, if they are filed, will be in federal court, said Pat McGee, managing attorney for the center,” says The Post Online. “Only Athens litigation is handled by the center, which focuses on tenant-landlord disputes, misdemeanors and consumer law.
The RIAA, “is going to know they have students at a disadvantage when they have to drive two hours to file a motion,” the story has Pat McGee, managing attorney for the center, declaring. “That’s how they roll over people.”
The RIAA is escalating its sue ‘em all campaign against students by sending hundreds of extortionate letters, backed by an “incriminate yourself” web page.
“It’s just another attempt to get easy settlement revenue,” the story quotes Ray Beckerman, a partner at New York City-based law firm Vandenberg and Feliu who represents RIAA victims, as saying, also stating the web site is misleading and designed to “extort money from you”.
“They don’t like to sue people that can fight back,” Beckerman says in the story. “Everybody should fight to the fullest extent they can.”
Students should pool their resources and hire an attorney instead of settling, he said, and, “If everybody fought it tooth and nail it’d probably tie up the federal court system for ten years,” McGee said.
March has been declared RIAA boycott month.
Also See:
RIAA hit list – Ohio U No 1 on RIAA p2p chart, February 23, 2007
The Post Online – RIAA letters no idle threat, exec says, March 2, 2007
extortionate letters – RIAA’s student extortion letter, March 3, 2007
incriminate yourself – RIAA college settlement plan, February 28, 2007
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Tired of being treated like a criminal? They depend on you, not the other way around. Don’t buy their ‘product’. Do bug your local politicians. Use emails, snail-mail, phone calls, faxes, IM, stop them in the street, blog. And if you’re into organizing, organize petitions, organize demonstrations and then turn up on your local political rep’s doorstep, making sure you’ve contacted your local tv/radio station/newspaper in advance. Don’t just complain. Do something!
