p2pnet - rss feed: RIAA goes after the Greubel children
p2pnet news | RIAA News:- Vivendi Universal, EMI, Warner Music and Sony BMG their RIAA have often been compared to the Mafia and, like the Mafia, they go after the weak and helpless, knowing their muscle and their goons will terrorise most people into accepting extortion they believe they can’t refuse: pay the RIAA to go away
But there is a difference, and it’s a substantial one >>>
Mafia hoods don’t go after children.
RIAA hoods do, and not in any collateral sense.
Ask RIAA victims who have kids.
Children are from the very beginning the designated targets with parents used as stage one in the RIAA softening up process.
And it doesn’t matter how young they are, or that they’re the customers of the future.
Ask Brianna LaHara, Brittany Chan, Kylee Andersen, Michelle and Bobby Santangelo, or any of the other literally thousands of kids who, despite their ages, became RIAA victims in the literal sense of the word.
‘Suing music fans isn’t the solution …’
Fifteen-year-old Elisa Greubel made headlines in 2006 when she contacted Nettwerk music artist MC Lars to say she identified with ‘Download This Song,’ a track from his then latest release.
That was because Vivendi Universal, EMI, Warner Music and Sony BMG were trying extort a lot of money from her father, David, for supposedly sharing nine copyrighted songs online.
MC Lars passed Elisa’s message to Canada’s Terry McBride, who runs Nettwerk, and he decided, “Suing music fans isn’t the solution, it’s the problem,” as he told p2pnet in a Q&A.
So he decided to pick up the Greubel’s legal bill.
The pretence
Typically, a Big 4 case will have what appear to be one or more independent record companies making the allegations and in this instance, Arista was the front.
But Arista is a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony BMG and a couple of weeks back Recording Industry vs The People’s Ray Beckerman reported the Arista v Greubel had been settled.
However, as per the RIAA SOP, dropping the cases against the patrent or parents is just beginning.
Now UMG, the largest member of the multi-billion-dollar Big 4 organised music gang, is suing Greubel’s children in UMG v Greubel, says Beckerman, going on >>>
The docket number is 06-860, N.D. Texas.
Among the things we have learned through an examination of the docket sheet is that
- one of the four defendants is a minor;
- a motion for appointment of a guardian ad litem had been made, and was then withdrawn;
- a settlement conference was held at which Matthew Oppenheim, instead of any record company representatives, was the sole “client” representative;
- the RIAA has attempted to subpoena, from the father, David Greubel, his communications with his attorneys and with Nettwerk Music;
- Mr. Greubel has made a motion to quash the subpoena, and the motion has been referred to the Magistrate Judge; and
- a hard drive inspection was done under a stipulated protective order similar to the protective order in SONY v Arellanes.
Beckerman also notes Matt ‘The Dentist’ Oppenheim, the ex-RIAA employee who never seems to be far away, is lurking and not, this time, in the background.
More to come.
Stay tuned.
Jon Newton - p2pnet
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May 24th, 2008 at 8:34 am
So ,
Basically they ‘dropped’ the original case against the greubels to get rid
of the Netwerk music financial backers, forcing the greubles to use their
own much more meager resources.
They really know how to USE the system as a weapon.
May 24th, 2008 at 10:23 am
I bet if Elisa Greubel told MC Lars what was going on, he’d pick up the legal bill again.
May 24th, 2008 at 11:13 am
I believe Nettwerk Music is still in the game, backing the defense of the Greubel children.
(We should all remember Nettwerk Music when buying music.)
May 24th, 2008 at 2:34 pm
Even better buy from real indie artists
May 24th, 2008 at 4:57 pm
I still feel there should be a fund available to help all these poor victims. If just some of us paid 1c it would raise millions, which could be dipped into for legal fees when required. If the case was dropped or settled out of court they could keep the remainder as compensation for harassment and trauma. Any excess funds could be used to help disaster victims by way of a vote.
Most of us have gotten a lot of free content and even the most miserly wouldn’t begrudge a few cents for such worthy causes, cause that’s all it would take. Who wouldn’t be willing?
May 24th, 2008 at 5:05 pm
This would also provide incentive for victims to try keeping costs to a minimum, but perhaps their lawyers should not be made aware of any financial help.
May 24th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
Sorry, forgot to add my name to the above comment
May 24th, 2008 at 10:14 pm
In honor of Nettwerk music and MC Lars, here’s his Download This Song;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2zTPDVkVFOs