RIAA assaults another 19 US universities
p2pnet news | RIAA News:- Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG’s morally destitute RIAA is sending a heavy dose of ‘tough love‘ to 19 universities across America.
We Rule! – says the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) , its main mouthpiece, Cary Sherman, claiming lawsuits lodged against Big 4 customers are absolutely essential.
Without them, “Its not a pretty picture,” he says. “Skyrocketing illegal peer-to-peer downloading without even a second thought about its legality or morality, and a small handful of legitimate businesses struggling to gain traction in a marketplace overwhelmingly dominated by piracy,” he says.
But as Recording Industry vs The People’s Ray Beckerman sums it up:
Where is the ‘tough’? ‘Tough’ isn’t a gang of multinational corporations ganging up against a single mom with no money. ‘Tough’ is the brave lady who stood up to those thugs.
Where is the ‘love’? Ruining people’s lives, deposing children, oppressing poor and working people and students and kids and hurricane survivors and disabled people.
This man should get help.
Now the RIAA has sent another wave of extortion letters to senior schools, many of whom will undoubtedly follow the example of the University of New Mexico which is eagerly dancing to the RIAA tune, openly stating it has no intention of offering any help to its students.
Seven students in North Carolina have, however, decided to help themselves and each other by banding together to stand up to the multi-billion-dollar Big 4 bullies.
Calling it an “initiative,” the RIAA unashamedly admits it’s just sent “co-operate or else” blackmail letters to:
Drexel University (17 pre-litigation settlement letters), Indiana University (23), Northern Illinois University (25), Occidental College (19), State University of New York at Morrisville (18), Texas Christian University (20), Tufts University (15), University of Alabama (14), University of California, Berkeley (19), University of Delaware (18), University of Georgia (13), University of Iowa (18), University of Michigan – Ann Arbor (20), University of Nebraska-Lincoln (13), University of New Hampshire (30), University of New Mexico (17), University of South Florida (43), University of Southern California (37) and Vanderbilt University (32).
The extortion letters are, “in addition to the lawsuits that the RIAA continues to file on a rolling basis against those engaging in music theft via commercial Internet accounts,” says the RIAA.
However, the seven students mentioned earlier are far from being alone.
More and more RIAA victims such as Michelle and Bobby Santangelo are fighting back.
And although timorous souls at all too many universities are caving in cravenly to the RIAA, the trend isn’t universal.
Harvard made a loud, determined and very public stand against the Big 4 demands and its conspicuous by virtue of the fact it’s been left alone by the Big 4.
Vivendi Universal (France), Sony BMG (Japan and Germany), EMI (Britain), and Warner Music (US) quite literally, don’t give a damn about public opinion, fair use, their customers, or anything else which stands in the way of their making a profit.
They figure they can do whatever they want, and they can’t be touched.
However, they’re wrong and their days are most assuredly numbered.
Stay tuned.
Also See:
tough love – RIAA lawsuits are ‘tough love’, October 18, 2007
dancing to the RIAA tune – You’re on your own, UNM tells RIAA victims, October 17, 2007
help themselves – Students unite to fight RIAA case, October 17, 2007
Michelle and Bobby – RIAA accused of ‘Failure to Warn’, October 15, 2007
very public stand – RIAA student victimisation campaign,, July 21, 2007
most assuredly numbered – Hit the RIAA and Big Music where it hurts!, October 5, 2007
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October 19th, 2007 at 9:55 am
Why can not record labels make money like any other company? If you steal music why not steal everything? Bread, gas, cable, Photoshop, jeans, …..
October 19th, 2007 at 9:57 am
I’m posting to fast? What is that suppossed to mean? If this site takes comments that it doesn’t agree with how come as soon as I post a comment with some help to hide my identity I am not told I am posting to fast?
October 19th, 2007 at 10:22 am
It’s not that you are posting too fast, readjust your javascript settings to allow p2pnet and the problem should go away.
Cheers!
Liam
October 19th, 2007 at 10:30 am
“Why can not record labels make money like any other company? If you steal music why not steal everything? Bread, gas, cable, Photoshop, jeans, …..”
You’re using a false analogy, just like all these idiots who run the industry. Unauthorized sharing is copyright infringement (if anything); theft is theft. Please try to learn the difference.
October 19th, 2007 at 10:34 am
” Why can not record labels make money like any other company? If you steal music why not steal everything? Bread, gas, cable, Photoshop, jeans, ….. ”
None of this has anything to do with stealing.
If you steal bread, the original owner no longer has the bread to eat.
Steal gas, the gas station no longer has that gas to sell .. etc.
Copyright Infringement is what it is.
Copyright infringement does not = Theft.
Never has, never will
A download does NOT = Lost sale, never has, never will.
Using the word ‘theft’ in place of the proper term of Copyright infringement is
a deliberately misleading use of the term theft for reasons of deception.
A propoganda campaign.
Your Photoshop example is another instance of Copyright infringement, NOT theft.
The People who sell Photoshop do not lose their copies.
There is also NO EVIDENCE that a person who downloaded Photoshop would have
purchased it.
Not theft, Not a lost sale .. Copyright infringement.
Doesn’t belong with the other examples that involve actual physical property.
Cable infringement is another animal altogether, but still is NOT THEFT.
It is a form of infringement in that it does NOT deprive the Cable company of
anything tangible.
Continually using terms that are deliberately incorrect is inflammatory AND dishonest.
Knowingly using dishonest language could make one appear to be an idiot.
October 19th, 2007 at 10:37 am
If your listening to someone’s music and they wern’t compensated than you have enjoyed their work. They should be paid for it.
October 19th, 2007 at 10:43 am
” If your listening to someone’s music and they wern’t compensated than you have enjoyed their work. They should be paid for it. ”
As has been said, many times before ……
Just because I bought the CD doesn’t mean the artist got ANY compensation for it.
Rights Holders alsmost NEVER = Artist.
If I listen to someones work for free, and it sucks, I am grateful I didn’t shell out
good money for it.
This happens if I listen to the radio .. for free as well as downloading.
By comparing the most downloaded files chart with the largest sellers chart from the
same time period it becomes apparent.
If people like what they hear, they buy it.
No more buying full CD’s of suck.
That’s scary for the labels.
There are a LOT of free outlets for music, turn on your HD radio, sat radio, terrestrial
radio etc.. Do you HONESTLY think the ARTIST gets any revenue from that ?
October 19th, 2007 at 10:44 am
” ” If your listening to someone’s music and they wern’t compensated than you have enjoyed their work. They should be paid for it. ”
That’s a neat idea.
Why don’t the record labels compensate their artists then ?
After all, it’s the artists work, right ?
October 19th, 2007 at 1:17 pm
“You’re using a false analogy, just like all these idiots who run the industry. Unauthorized sharing is copyright infringement (if anything); theft is theft. Please try to learn the difference.”
When the RIAAs use the term “steal” when the correct term is “copyright infringement”, then isn’t that called “fraud”?
Here is an essay with a description of fraud:
http://www.123student.com/2124.htm
“What is a Fraud? A fraud is when one party deceives or takes unfair
advantage of another. A fraud includes any act, omission, or concealment,
involving a breach of legal or equitable duty or trust, which results in
disadvantage or injury to another. In a court of law it is necessary to prove
that a false representation was made as a statement of fact, that was made with
the intent to deceive and to induce the other party to act upon it. It must be
proven that the person who has been defrauded suffered a injury or damage from
the act.”
Fraud on wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fraud
“In criminal law, fraud is the crime or offense of deliberately deceiving another in order to damage them – usually, to obtain property or services unjustly”.
It sure fits the description of fraud…or am I missing something?
October 19th, 2007 at 1:22 pm
“If your listening to someone’s music and they wern’t compensated than you have enjoyed their work. They should be paid for it.”
Hey. I give good advice daily. I dress pretty and people look at me. They enjoy it.
Do you think that I should sue these people ? – they don’t pay me anything!
October 19th, 2007 at 2:24 pm
“If your listening to someone’s music and they wern’t compensated than you have enjoyed their work. They should be paid for it.”
RIAA agent all other the place. We are infested with parasties and cookroaches.
Honey bring me the bugs killer spray!
October 19th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
“If your listening to someone’s music and they wern’t compensated than you have enjoyed their work. They should be paid for it.”
Shit to whoever read this.
This post is copyrighed. If you read it you must pay me for this or you are a pirate RIAA agent!
October 19th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
“Why can not record labels make money like any other company? If you steal music why not steal everything? Bread, gas, cable, Photoshop, jeans, …..”
Because they are a pack of parasites and we don’t need them anymore. That’s why!
October 19th, 2007 at 6:23 pm
“Why can not record labels make money like any other company? If you steal music why not steal everything? Bread, gas, cable, Photoshop, jeans, …..”
They can. They can identify their markets and develop a marketing strategy. They can make every effort to adjust to current market conditions so they are able to stay in business. They can treat their customers and suppliers with respect so as not to alienate them.
Most importantly, if they continue to alienate both their customers and suppliers, they can go to hell.