RIAA: egg on face over Ray Beckerman
p2pnet news | RIAA News:- RIAA lawyers are becoming dazed and confused as day after day, they try to con US judges into believing Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG customers, including very young children, are criminals and thieves.
Yesterday, in Arista v Does 1-21, targeting Boston University students, the Big 4’s RIAA tried to block the EFF’s (Electronic Frontier Foundation) request for permission to file an amicus curiae brief, says Recording Industry vs The People.
This is the case where Big 4 unlicensed ‘investigator’ MediaSentry was told to take a hike, by order of the Massachusetts state police.
It’s now also the cause of serious RIAA embarrassment centering on Ray Beckerman, the famous New York lawyer who runs Recording Industry vs The People, the unique online repository of scores of documents relating to Big 4 sue ‘em all cases.
Beckerman was one of the first attorneys to represent RIAA victims and as such, he’s better than merely well known by the RIAA and the many and various hired legal guns which represent it.
With that in mind one has to wonder not only how, but why, the RIAA’s demand that the EFF representation be barred, offered up by Nancy M. Cremins and John R. Bauer of Boston’s Robinson & Cole, has Beckerman as an EFF attorney.
Say Crimins and Bauer in their court document:
[The] EFF regularly takes legal positions in these cases that defy all logic. Indeed, one of EFF attorneys, Ray Beckerman, operates a blog on the Internet called “Recording Industry vs. The People” which, by way of example accuse Plaintiffs of acting as “a cartel of multinational corporations [that] collude to abuse our judicial system, distort copyright law, and frighten ordinary working people and their children.”
Yea, verily 
They also need to learn how to write.
This is somewhat akin to RIAA president Cary Sherman being described as someone dedicated to helping, instead of trying to destroy, American music lovers.
Never happen.
Be that as it may, today the RIAA fell flat on its lying face.
Judge Nancy Gertner (right) allowed the EFF’s motion for leave to file an amicus brief in Arista v Does, overruling the RIAA’s objections, on the ground that the cases present “questions of copyright law and computer technology” and that “amici participation” may “shed light on the issues before [the Court],” says RIvTP.
Definitely stay tuned.
Also See:
Recording Industry vs The People – RIAA opposes EFF motion for leave to file amicus brief, cites “Recording Industry vs. The People”, February 6, 2008
take a hike – Cease & Desist, RIAA MediaSentry ordered, February 5, 2008
Cary Sherman – RIAA, caring and sharing: not, February 7, 2008
RIvTP – Judge grants EFF motion for leave to file amicus curiae brief in Arista v. Does 1-21, February 5, 2008
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February 7th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
Being a worm, wriggling on a hook, doesn’t get it off the hook. The RIAA and the major labels by ownership of them, are earning not only the artists but major lable product a bad name and an unsavory aftertaste in the view of the public.
At this rate it won’t be much longer and no one but no one will want big musics’ offerings. Where else can you go and get sued for buying a product and putting it on your computer for your own use? Doesn’t sound like much of a bargain to me for buying a product.
Funny that first sale was mentioned in a previous article here. Pray tell, how does first sale fit into the scheme of DRM? I’m really interested in how those that bought these digitially crippled offerings can do that.
February 7th, 2008 at 5:15 pm
^^ “Funny that first sale was mentioned in a previous article here.”
http://www.p2pnet.net/story/14901
Cheers!
February 7th, 2008 at 5:17 pm
jon,
couldn’t that statement be considered libel or slander against Ray?
February 7th, 2008 at 5:21 pm
while the pic of her seems to be the “official” one that is widely used, and despite the fact that woman normaly prefer pictures where they look younger, I guess this one* of her has more charisma of the person, even if that seems to be a taken more recently then the other one.
* http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/01/09/us/09sentence_lg.jpg
A_F
February 7th, 2008 at 5:24 pm
“They also need to learn how to write.”
No kidding and they get, what, $350 an hour?
February 7th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
^^ Nah. That’s what associates get. When you work for the RIAA, money is no object
Cheers!
February 7th, 2008 at 7:32 pm
Wow! That judge is hot!
February 8th, 2008 at 5:01 am
I’ve recently re-discovered Electronica, complete with some great online shops that sell un-DRMd files in 320Kb MP3 format, selling at a very reasonable price.
What fantastic music and no RIAA presence! Seriously, I’m finding the shit that’s doled out on commercial radio when I drive my car, harder and harder to listen to.
February 9th, 2008 at 1:55 am
The RIAA is not calling Ray Beckerman, his blog, or the EFF a “cartel of multinational [etc, etc].” The RIAA is whining because Beckerman calls the RIAA a “cartel of multinational [etc, etc]” on the front page of his blog. The RIAA is implying that since they’re obviously good guys, then Beckerman is obviously a bad guy because he calls them names and makes disingenuous accusations.
February 9th, 2008 at 3:08 am
Just spray this parasite with pest killer. End of story.
February 9th, 2008 at 3:08 am
The RIAA is a cartel of multinational parasites.