RIAA attacks more US schools
p2pnet.net news:- Ohio University, formerly the worst-hit in the RIAA’s attack on senior American Schools under the so-called ‘settlement plan‘, is patting itself on the back.
Where once the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) regularly fired off subpoenas at men, women and children it claimed were “devastating” its owners, the multi-billion-dollar Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG record labels, it’s re-invented the scheme to target US university students.
The idea is to try to frighten students, and the public at large, into abandoning the independent music and musician sites and free p2p networks in favour of the low-quality, high-priced cookie-cutter ‘product’ turned out by the Big 4 and sold on corporate sites, principally Apple’s iTunes.
These days, at frequent intervals, the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) sends threatening letters in batches to US universities in the hope they, in turn, will act as corporate copyright cops; and, that recipients will be lured into incriminating themselves by agreeing to ’settle’ for $3,000 out of court for alleged, and unproven, civil transgressions.
However, to solve its problems with the RIAA, Ohio University has started “monitoring” its network for p2p file sharers, and disabling Net access for computers “found in violation of the new policy”.
When the Recording Industry Association of America sent its fourth round of settlement letters to 13 colleges today, “Ohio University is not among them,” says the student-run daily The Post.
It goes on to spread the word about universities which are included, namely: Brandeis University (15 letters), Duke University (35), Iowa State University (15), Massachusetts Institute of Technology – MIT (23), Northern Illinois University (50), Syracuse University (20), Tufts University (15), University of Georgia (19), University of Iowa (25), University of Southern California (50), University of South Florida (50), University of Tennessee (50), and the University of Texas – Austin (35).
Ironically, when the RIAA originally zoomed in on OU, lawsuits, if they’re filed, would be in federal court, said Pat McGee, managing attorney for the university’s Center for Student Legal Services, going on, “Only Athens litigation is handled by the center, which focuses on tenant-landlord disputes, misdemeanors and consumer law”.
The RIAA would know it had students at a disadvantage, “when they have to drive two hours to file a motion,” the story has him saying. “That’s how they roll over people.”
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.”
Are the attacks indeed having the desired (by the Big 4) effect, intimidating people into abandoning free-choice and reasonable pricing in favour of Big 4 rip-offs?
Not according to respondents to a recent p2pnet poll, answered by 1,108 people.
“Have the RIAA sue ‘em all lawsuits persuaded you to stop sharing?” – asked one of the questions.
“No!” – declared 94.1% (1,013) of the1,077 responses resoundingly.
Also See:
settlement plan – RIAA college settlement plan, February 28, 2007
solve its problems – Ohio University caves in to RIAA, April 26, 2007
The Post – No news is good news, May 2, 2007
pool their resources – Ohio University and the RIAA, March 3, 2007
1,108 people – p2pnet RIAA poll: final results, April 23, 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!
