Santangelo story sweeps the Net
p2p news / p2pnet:- The story of New York mother Patricia Santangelo’s defiance of the multi-billion-dollar Big Four record labels is sweeping the Net.
She’s the first of the almost 14,000 Big Four victims who’s refusing to be cowed by the cartel as it tries to sue people into buying its over-priced, cookie-cutter products and to other victims, “Don’t let your fear of these massive companies allow you to deny your belief in your own innocence,” she says.
“Paying these settlements is an admission of guilt. If you’re not guilty of violating the law, don’t pay.”
Santangelo’s stand has been reported on boing boing, DownhillBattle, MTV, techdirt, slashdot, digital music news, Slyck, the Daily Rotten, Corante, WebProNews, MP3NewsWire, The Inquirer, Stereophile Magazine, antiMUSIC, Curlio, DJzone, as well as on a lot of other sites.
But significantly, there’s been little or nothing from the many journalists who jump right to it the instant the cartel adds new victims to its list.
“I think it’s very interesting that i haven’t seen news of this in any of the mainscream media that i’m aware of,” says Tony. “Makes me wonder, why not?”
Could the fact the entertainment industry either owns outright, or directly or indirectly controls, many of the mainstream print and electronic media outlets have anything to do with it?
No way! – you say? The press corp presents only carefully balanced reports?
Fox has made a mockery out of the phrase ‘fair and balanced reporting’ and, “In May, 2004, according a Billboard staffer, [Billboard publisher John J] Kilcullen instructed [then editor-in-chief Keith] Girard not to publish any editorials, editorial cartoons, articles or features that might ‘piss off’ the major record companies and cause them to withhold advertising or cancel subscriptions, and told Girard that if he did not comply with his instructions, he would be fired.”
“[...] let’s hope the mainstream press give as much attention to this as they do to something with no value whatsoever, such as yet another completely insignificant iTunes or Napster marketing event, which they treat as ‘news’,” says Morg.
We hope Morg wasn’t holding his breath.
But you can help put things right. Post and blog Patricia Santangelo’s story all over the place, and tell your friends to do the same. And if you have anything to do with student or any other media, do your best to get her a bit of coverage.
And in case you’re thinking, ‘That’s in the US – nothing to do with me,’ remember the cartels are after everyone, everywhere. The BPI is nailing people in the UK, the French RIAA clone is doing the same in France. And so on …..
Santangelo’s case just the North American manifestation of an overall entertainment and software industry plan to gain total control of what you do online.
Don’t just stay tuned, do something.
Something you think we should know? tips[at]p2pnet.net
See:-
she says – Big Music cartel nails Sharman, September 5, 2005
withhold advertising – Don’t ‘piss off’ the labels, June 24, 2005
September 6th, 2005 at 7:29 pm
The Net is about the only place where I find any worthwhile stories. I believe that most of the stories in the lamescream media are there for the benefit of some rich elite. I no longer consider lamescream media as a credible source of news. It is however, a great source for propaganda.
I do however analyze it to try to see what the elites are trying to foist on the public. I believe that the thought the media is trying to foist apon us is helplessness, anger, and frustration. If you read all the stories about people being f#@%3d at the petrol stations in the U.S. The elites think it is time for the “democratic” side of America’s political parTY to assume power. This will result in more pervasive enforcing of the laws that the “Republican” side of the parTY passed.
The Internet is still a powerful tool for communication of information beneficial to the people. However, it will not be for long. It is time to use this medium of communications to do 3 things.
1. Promote self sufficiency. People should use it to learn how to produce as much of what they require to survive as possible instead of depending on buying from the cartel-government alliance. If you are poor, this information will be a lifesaver, because in a disaster, the government will prevent your rescue until national outrage requires it.
2. Start brainstorming the next network based on wireless, neighborhood, and homespun infrastructure. In other words build a network not dependent on cartel owned infrastructure. When the cartels star massively imposing bandwidth limits and acceptable use policies that effectively prevent free speech, there will need to be a way to communicate independent news.
3. Use this medium to promote more pro-freedom political parties such as the Libertarian, Constitution, Veteran, and Reform parties. Not only should pro freedom parties be promoted, so should pro-freedom ideas and techniques. Private aid was on the way right after the hurricane, but this aid was blocked from getting to where it was needed by government officials. Unless we take some action to free ourselves, we will be on the way down the road to slavery and genocide.
We do not need to squander our time and resources. There are people fighting mad over the stopping of aid from reaching hurricane and flood ravaged areas by various government officals. (Yes armed guards on a bridge checkpoints prevented aid from getting through).
Let’s use this anger to regain our freedom rather than voting for the Democratic-Republican ParTY.
September 6th, 2005 at 7:36 pm
“…Fox has made a mockery out of the phrase ‘fair and balanced reporting’…”
I’m wondering if there is any legal precedent for a class action suit indicting Fox “news” for false advertizing by using the TRADEMARKED “Fair and Balanced” phrase when it is SO OBVIOUS that they are anything but.
A Florida court had already ruled that Fox is not obliged to be truthful in their “news” reporting so I’m not holding out much hope…
September 6th, 2005 at 9:50 pm
Here is another great cause we can help defend. Like Patricia Santangelo, this guy is helping to protect the rights of ordinary Americans especially the voiceless. Since the governments refuse to protect the public, someone has to.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,1280,-5259233,00.html
As far as I’m concerned, this guy is a hero. If 10% of the poulation did what this guy has done, America’s children would be much safer.
September 6th, 2005 at 10:17 pm
This is the text of a decision delivered on July 8 this year by the Irish High Court
http://www.bailii.org/ie/cases/IEHC/2005/233.html
September 6th, 2005 at 10:38 pm
I live in the uk, and contacted the sun newspaper (Robert Murdoch owns it i think). I have yet to receive a reply or hear of any story they have done. I’m starting to get the feeling i’m being ignored.
Note they ask for people to send in stories/news at this email address all the time.
Here is what i sent in my email:
To: talkback@the-sun.co.uk
From: Ben
Hi,
I read the sun quite often and noticed you were reporting p2p (peer-2-peer) networking piracy prosecutions by the riaa/mpaa and their British counterparts.
I’m not sure if you have seen the legal case against a mother of five (Patricia Santangelo from new york), brought about by the riaa, but i thought you might like to take a look at it, as you were detailing other cases/operations involving them. Mrs Santangelo is an exception to the 14,000 or so cases filed against individuals, because she has refused to accept that she has done anything criminal, and has decided to fight the case out in the courts as apposed to settling with the riaa’s settlement centre.
Now this may not appear to be all that important in the grand scheme of things, but if she wins, this will be a precedent against the frivolous lawsuits being issued against ordinary law abiding citizens (globally).
I would also like to add, that these companies (which act on behalf of the cartels such as Sony and EMI) claim music is being stolen in some way. But file sharing via peer-2-peer networks, is exactly that, sharing, no money is involved, these files are being shared freely. Of course the riaa/mpaa would argue that each file that is shared equals a loss of sale for them, but this simply isn’t true. There is no proof that a file shared equals a sale lost. Infact most people see this technology as a way to preview the contents of an album or single and determine if they wish to purchase it legally.
Now I’m aware that as a media company yourselves, this would probably ring alarm bells, and that you would rather not print this kind of information, as it goes against the grain, but i have great faith in your news paper, in that i believe you stand up for the rights of the public as a whole, as you have done in the past, with things like the war in Iraq, and politics involving the European union.
This case is gaining more publicity each day, and i hope that you can reflect this, so as to appear unbias in this area.
Many thanks for your time, and keep up the great work.
Ben.
September 6th, 2005 at 10:52 pm
If enough people do it, they have to pay attention ….
September 7th, 2005 at 5:08 am
The suspicous absence of these type of stories scream loud and clear just what the major media think and who it is important to pay heed too. Every little udderance that the cartels dribble out is faithfully reported in all its drab notority and with as much pomp as can be mustered. The whole unvarished and trueful part of it somehow gets lost in the dust when it comes to money. (Of course no one would ever dream of interferring with a court case would they? Can anyone say Simpson?)
I would put forth this thought. Remember this when it comes time to pick your news. Your news is just as heavily varnished as is the lack of telling it as it is. If you don’t hear of this story, remember it when you go for your source of news. Simply, don’t show up to hear the bias ramblings put out for the unwashed masses if you can’t hear the truth of how it is. It is evident that the news outlets don’t really care for the truth to be known if it interfers with the dollar. I wonder if Joe Public stops getting their news from these sources, just how important it will be then? Do think when you set down to check the news out, just who did report this story. If they didn’t report it, should you be at that news source or should you be somewhere else where news is a bit more important than whose hand feeds it?
September 7th, 2005 at 2:48 pm
I am amazed. People like you still believe that private citizens should take the law into their own hands! I personally abhor the molestation of children, whether by sexual predators or even by neurotic parents who abuse their children; the loss of innocense can never be regained, and the joyful laughter of a child is such a precious commodity! However, appointing oneself judge and jury then acting as executioner is equally abhorrent.
If you’re a man of faith, trust the words of the Master and leave vengence to God. If you espouse no religion, beware of anyone who holds such a high opinion of himself as to believe that he or she is privy to universal truths and is competent to stand in judgement of others. “Let he who is without sin cast the first stone.”
The best protection for our children is education and vigilance. Teach them, and teach them well, what we have learned throughout history: avoid strangers, do not accept candy, rides, or other enticements. And watch them, protect them. If you cannot be there every minute, make sure you know that they are in a safe situation, etc. etc.
It sounds to me as though you would rather teach them, by example, to take the law into their own hands. Such is the core ingredient of a lynch mob, and I believe history has taught us with a degree of sufficiency that lynch mobs have been known to kill the wrong people.
September 7th, 2005 at 2:53 pm
I posted this the day before yesterday, but I don’t believe anyone saw it — it there all by itself. (:))
If handled with caution and deliberation, her defense against the cartels could prove to be quite valuable in debunking their false assertions, accusations, and protestations of profit losses in the billions. In a civil matter, both sides have the right of “discovery” and can quite literally force any party to the action to answer, under penalty of perjury, any questions posed to them regarding any claim or assertion. Mrs. Santangelo could buttonhole one or more of the top executives and put their backs to the wall. Furthermore, she could subpoena records and documents of the cartels and/or their various clients, thus exposing the myths and downright fallacies being perpetrated by those esteemed gentlemen of the entertainment industry.
I studied law for several years, but eventually decided against making it a career. Thus, it has been quite a while since I’ve poked my nose into a law book; but anyone defending himself or herself, without benefit (?) of legal counsel, can be considerably more effective against the adversary, who will not be expecting, nor be prepared for, the piercing and penetrating questions which a defendant has every right to ask and to which he or she has every right to expect answers, no matter how revealing or expository.
To be sure, one would have to submerse oneself into the project with a zeal bordering on fanaticism, and would have to create a solid understanding of the sequence of events which led to the filing of the original claim. One would have to meticulously prepare the questions and be prepared to stave off elusive answers and diversions designed to derail the purpose of the Discovery; one would have to be able to return, doggedly, to the matter at hand until one got the answers to satisfy the intent of the questions.
It gets involved, but it can be a deliciously satisfying experience. I know, because I once acted as my own counsel in a civil suit, from which I emerged victorious. The plaintiffs were not expecting such a spirited and vigorous defense. Like our friends in the **AAs, they usually dealt with cases that fell into place for them, requiring little or no effort on their parts. At the conclusion of the court trial, the judge asked me how much time I had spent on the case. When my answer revealed that I had spent countless hours working on it, he banged his gavel and said “Well, it seems that it was time well spent.”
So go get ‘em, Mrs. Santangelo! Then counter-sue!! They, like so many of their victims, will probably settle out of court!