Want into the RIAA Amnesty fiasco?
The RIAA's ludicrous 'Clean Slate' amnesty program becomes official today.
Anyone who signs needs serious expert psychiatric help, as do parents who advise their kids to have any part of it.
"[...] those who want to start fresh will be asked to sign a declaration pledging they will delete all illegally obtained music files from their hard drives and never again digitally distribute or download music illegally," says the RIAA. "Detailed information on how to apply and qualify for this amnesty is available at the web site www.musicunited.org."
The RIAA site has been down all day, of course.
In the meanwhile, for your information:
CLEAN SLATE PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
The Recording Industry Association of America ('RIAA') is offering amnesty from copyright enforcement to individuals residing in the United States who have, or who believe that they may have, illegally downloaded or distributed copyrighted sound recordings on peer-to-peer networks such as Kazaa, Grokster, iMesh, Morpheus, Bearshare, LimeWire, Gnutella, Blubster, OverNet, Shareaza, Gnucleus, SoulSeek, Earthstation 5 and eDonkey ('P2P Networks'). As part of this Clean Slate Program, RIAA is agreeing not to support or assist in copyright infringement suits based on past conduct against individuals who meet the conditions outlined below. Only individual persons are eligible for the Clean Slate Program; businesses, groups and other organizations or entities may not participate.
You are eligible for this Clean Slate Program if:
1. You delete or destroy all copyrighted sound recordings that you or others illegally downloaded to your computer(s) or devices (including all storage and portable devices) using a P2P Network, and all copies you have of those files in any format (including CD-R). 2. In the future you do not illegally download copyrighted sound recordings using a P2P Network, you do not allow others to illegally download copyrighted sound recordings to your computer(s), you do not make copies of any such downloaded files in any format, and you do not 'share' (that is, upload/distribute) such files on P2P Networks.
3. As of the date your Clean Slate Program Affidavit is received, you have not been sued for copyright infringement by an RIAA member company for the activities that are covered by this Clean Slate Program and RIAA has not begun to investigate you by requesting from an Internet Service Provider ('ISP'), by subpoena or otherwise, identifying information about you.
4. Any downloading or file-distribution that you engaged in was done on a noncommercial basis. Individuals who undertook these activities for commercial purposes or for payment are not eligible for this Clean Slate Program.
INSTRUCTIONS
In order to take advantage of this Clean Slate Program, please take the following steps. Note that all information sent will be used solely in connection with the Clean Slate Program and will not be used for marketing or other promotional purposes. See our Privacy Policy for further details.
1. Carefully read the Clean Slate Program Affidavit and make sure that you have taken all necessary steps to delete any copyrighted music files you or others illegally downloaded to your computer(s) or devices (including all storage and portable devices) using a P2P Network, and to destroy any copies you have of those files in any format.
2. Complete the Clean Slate Program Affidavit, except for your signature (since it must be signed in the presence of a notary public to be valid). If there is more than one person in your household who seeks to participate in the Clean Slate Program, each participant in the household must complete a separate Clean Slate Program Affidavit.
3. Take the completed, unsigned form to a notary public, together with identification (such as your driver’s license or passport), which will allow the notary to verify that you are the person whose information is listed on the form. Have the notary witness your signature. If you are under the age of 18 a parent or legal guardian also must sign the Clean Slate Program Affidavit.
4. Make a copy of the Clean Slate Program Affidavit for your own records. Send the original, signed and notarized version of the Clean Slate Program Affidavit to: Clean Slate Program Coordinator, RIAA, 1330 Connecticut Avenue, N.W., Suite 300, Washington, D.C. 20036. (For your recordkeeping purposes, you may want to consider sending your Clean Slate Program Affidavit by Federal Express, certified mail, or some other traceable delivery service.)
OUR PRIVACY POLICY
Information provided on the Clean Slate Program Affidavit will be used solely in connection with conducting and enforcing the Clean Slate Program. Information will not be used for marketing, promotional or public relations purposes. Information will not be made public or given to third parties, including individual copyright owners, except if necessary to enforce a participant’s violation of the pledges set forth in the Affidavit or otherwise required by law.
CLEAN SLATE PROGRAM AFFIDAVIT IDENTIFYING INFORMATION
Full Name:
Address of Primary Residence (United States only):
Telephone Number:
E-mail Address:
Internet Service Provider:
I, the individual whose name appears above, am executing this Clean Slate Program Affidavit in order to obtain amnesty from copyright infringement litigation supported or assisted by the Recording Industry Association of America ('RIAA') with respect to my unauthorized noncommercial downloading, copying, or 'sharing' (that is, uploading/distributing) as of this date on peer-to-peer networks such as Kazaa, Grokster, iMesh, Morpheus, Bearshare, LimeWire, Gnutella, Blubster, OverNet, Shareaza, Gnucleus, SoulSeek, Earthstation 5 and eDonkey ('P2P Networks'). I represent that I am eligible for this Clean
Slate Program and meet all the conditions herein and in the Clean Slate Program Description. I have deleted from my computer(s) and storage devices (including portable devices) all copyrighted sound recordings illegally downloaded, copied or 'shared' (that is, uploaded/distributed) using P2P Networks, and have destroyed all copies of those sound recordings I
have in any format (including CD-R). I agree from today forward to stop any and all illegal downloading, copying, or 'sharing' (that is, uploading/distributing) of files of copyrighted sound recordings on P2P Networks.
Provided that I have in fact deleted from my computer(s) and storage devices (including portable devices) all copyrighted sound recordings illegally downloaded from P2P Networks, and destroyed all copies of those sound recordings in any format, and do not engage in illegal downloading, copying or 'sharing' (that is, uploading/distributing) of copyrighted sound recordings on P2P Networks in the future, I understand that RIAA agrees not to support or assist in any copyright infringement lawsuit against me based on these past activities. I understand that if I am found in the future to have done any illegal downloading, copying or 'sharing' (that is, uploading/distributing) of copyrighted sound recordings using P2P Networks on or after today’s date or if I am found to have not met the conditions of the Clean Slate Program, RIAA may support or assist in an action for willful copyright infringement.
I acknowledge that I have signed this Clean Slate Program Affidavit voluntarily and that nothing herein prevents me from consulting with counsel of my own choosing.
Signature:
____________________________________________________
Signature of Parent or Guardian if Person Listed Above is Under 18:
____________________________________________________
STATE OF )
) SS:
COUNTY OF )
I, ______________________, a Notary Public in and for this
jurisdiction, certify that ________________________________ [name(s) of
person signing above] ________________________________ [parent or
guardian, if necessary], who is known to me to be the person signing
this Clean Slate Affidavit, personally appeared before me in this
jurisdiction.
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I sign below and set my official seal on this
document on ________________, 20___.
Signature:
_______________________________________
Name printed or typed:
_______________________________________
