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RIAA Settlement: Possible Consumer Payback
KoopaTroopa writes "Over on Ars Technica they are running a story about the RIAA handing out consumer payments as a settlement to a price-fixing class action. If you bought a recording at retail between Jan. 1, 1995, and Dec. 22, 2000, claim your money." As usual, the lawyers win a lot more than you will, but the process is pretty painless if you'd like to collect part of the settlement money; you may recall this earlier story about the settlement.
Note that you're not guarenteed to get anything. They've apparently already settled on how much they'll pay, and it'll be divided amongst everyone who signs up. It it gets down the less than $5/person, all of it goes to charity.
they don't ask for your social security #, they ask for the last 4 digits. They also don't ask for mother's maiden name
If you're unwilling to give them your name and address, how precisely do you wish for them to send you the $$$?
I don't know how much you pay, but here are the numbers for Canada. The CCFDA (Canadian Coalition for Fair Digital Access) is trying to fight it.
I can't say that I don't give a fuck. I've just run out of fuck to give.
Do you live in canada? If not, why are you using "music" CD-Rs rather then "data" ones for your music? (the only diffrence between the two is that music disks will work in special music drives, have serial copy protection (no copies of copies) and are taxed by the RIAA. Data CDs work in music players, have no SCP, and cost only a few cents, in general)
autopr0n is like, down and stuff.
well to wonder or not, this is what I did,
I called my credit card sompany and told the guy I want to have my card checked for signature with a passport or Drivers liscense, then I want the phone calls I make to them to confirm a few things, I ask for a list of things they coudl ask
1) date of birth
2) if a po box then the real address
3) telephone Number matching
4) LAST 4 digit's of your SS number
5) e-mail address if you have one for your CC
and the list went on.
Something is not right when someone ask you for the last 4 digit's of your SS#. I hope it's not a con.
Mike
if you see me, smile and say hello.
whois for musiccdsettlement.com
The domain is registered to Rust Consulting, Inc. They specialize in technology class-action lawsuits. And their address matches that in the whois records.
Looks legit to me.
The roots of education are bitter, but the fruit is sweet.
--Aristotle
You didn't even pay attention to the site you were cutting and pasting from. No receipts or other documents are required, and it is limit one claim per consumer. And I personally can guarantee that I have purchased at least one major-label CD during the perios in question.
Speak for yourself; unless more than two million people file a claim, everybody who bothers spending 60 seconds to fill out the simple form gets a check for $20. I'll take that.
yeah, but distrobution and retail markups make up a good chunk, as well. As you said, artists usually end up with squat (songwriters get paid better than artists, but artists/songwriters still get paid squat). The good, low risk money was in becoming a songwriter and NOT a musician/performer - they make 10 cents a song rather than 1 cent (you may need to adjust that number for 8 years of inflation). This rate is set by some organization, I think ASCAP in America, but it's been a while since I dealt with it.
Remember that retail stores typically double the prices, so your $15 CD is bought by them for $7.50, ~$3-4 is taken by the distributor, unless the record company is also the distributor (Time Warner, for instance), and the remaining $4.00 is split between the artist and the record company, usually 98% recording company, 2% artist. The record company then claims most of their money was spent on promotional and distrobution costs (which may also get taken out of the artist's paycheck).
Record companies claim to take the risk, which they do, to a degree, by fronting money for recording, but I seriously doubt many of them don't break even, as they still expect the artist to pay back expenses out of their 2%, and if they don't break even they "lost" money. Major artists can get 20-50% of the cash rather than 2%, but I don't know any of them (I know a lot of bankrupt bands, tho).
Holy shit, the ignorance flying around here is blinding today. Sorry to single you out, but you are one of many who seems to completely misunderstand what you are signing up for here.
1. The RIAA loses nothing. This is a lawsuit against a group of record labels. Yes, the RIAA lobbies on their behalf, but if anything this will result in the labels investing more money into the RIAA, to help insure that they don't get stung like this again over something.
2. Your signing up does not mean more money gets added to the penalty. The penalty was already settled by the ambulance-chasing lawyers who set up this class action... and it ain't much. You signing up just means the tiny fraction of the settlement that actuallly goes to those who were "damaged" by high CD prices gets divided up more thinly.
3. The settlement didn't do jack shit about high CD prices. Go to your local record store, and notice that albums that used to cost $13 about two years ago are now going for $17. Like almost all corporate class-action lawsuits, the lawyers get rich convincing you that you got "free money" coming, but the reality is that the costs of litigation and penalties are typically passed on to you, the consumer, while the handful of lawyers who suckered you into helping them make the suit look legitimate are making off like bandits... which is what they are.
If you want to fight the RIAA, give money (more than $5 would be nice) to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, or 2600's legal defense fund, or Senator Hatch's campaign fund. Signing up for this settlement just makes you a participant in the over-litigious culture we are rapidly becoming, while doing nothing about the problem other than make you feel like you are doing something about it.
Information wants to be anthropomorphized.
No, I don't know where they got these magic termination dates....
Why would you guess the EFF? What has the EFF got to do with price fixing?
The EFF won't see a dime of this money, and rightly so. I'm not anti-EFF, but ... again, they have nothing to do with this.
The Notice of Proposed Settlement is available at: http://www.musiccdsettlement.com/english/notice.ht m and includes both the individual state's AGs on the case, as well as actually listing the URL for the website itself.
Mr. Potter stated that the detail of information is to ensure that fradulent claims aren't filed -- primarily by attempting to prevent the same person from filing multiple times.
I suggested they put in a privacy notice. We'll see.
I also warned him of the impending Slashdotting. He didn't know what I meant. hehe
Well ... lets see if this smells of a con job. First, who owns the
musiccdsettlement.com domain:
Rust Consulting, Inc.
cmichelsen AT rustconsulting.com
Rust Consulting, Inc.
501 MARQUETTE AVE STE 700
MINNEAPOLIS, MN 55402-1208
US
612-359-2000
Ok, so Rust Consulting, and just who are these guys?
Michelsen, Claus
postmaster AT RUSTCONSULTING.COM
Rust Consulting
501 Marquette Avenue #700
Mpls , MN 55402
612-359-2000
Record expires on 07-Mar-2003.
Record created on 06-Mar-1996.
So far so good, same group of folks and it has been registered since 1996 so this didn't spring up overnight. Second, we can go to www.rustconsulting.com for a look at who we're dealing with:
Founded as the Rust Consulting Group, Inc., the Group was from the start a leader in applying computer technology to the practice of law. Using the most advanced computers and technology available, the Group computerized millions of documents in more than 500 cases such as MCI v. AT&T, Westmoreland v. CBS, and the Chem-Dyne environmental case.
Took a quick look at the site and found out that Rust Consulting is owned by SourceCorp which is publicly traded (symb: SRCP), not a typical thing for a con ring.
The only doubt that's left unresolved is why this thing is not SSL enabled. As for the SSN fear, your SSN can't be rebuilt without knowing what state your resided in when you were issued your SSN. The middle digits are of a random group that can't be related to any other info. They won't get far with just 4 digits. More info ...
It's always wise to be weary of "free money" offers since that's the fingerprint of pretty much all con jobs, but a quick bit of research shows this is most likely legit. However, if it isn't, they left all the necessary info to track them down.
Good people do not need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will find a way around the laws-Plato
Anyone seen my low uid? last seen 10 years ago while panning the #@$# out of Taco's 'web based discussion system'
Fairness Hearing: The Court will hold a Fairness Hearing to determine if the proposed Settlement is fair, reasonable and adequate on May 22, 2003, at 10:00 a.m. in Courtroom 2, United States Courthouse, 156 Federal Street, Portland, Maine 04101.
You're not guaranteed this money. If, in the hearing, it is determined that the settlement is not fair, reasonable, and/or adequate, you might not see a dime.
I couldn't agree more! I'll even take the liberty of helping this along:
Just so you don't have to find the means of doing this:
From the settlement:
If you do not wish to be bound by the terms of the proposed Settlement described in this Notice, you may request to be excluded from the Settlement. To do so, you MUST send a written request for the exclusion to:
Compact Disc MAP Antitrust Litigation Administrator
Post Office Box 1643
Faribault, Minnesota 55021-1643
Your request for exclusion must be postmarked by or before March 3, 2003, must clearly state that you want to be excluded from the Settlement, and must provide your full, legal name(s), address, telephone number, and the name and number of this Litigation (In re: Compact Disc Minimum Advertised Price Antitrust Litigation, MDL Docket No. 1361). NO REQUEST FOR EXCLUSION WILL BE CONSIDERED VALID UNLESS ALL OF THE INFORMATION DESCRIBED ABOVE IS INCLUDED IN ANY SUCH REQUEST.
"I don't know how much you pay, but here are the numbers for Canada [ccfda.ca]. The CCFDA (Canadian Coalition for Fair Digital Access) is trying to fight it. "
I read recently that they've collected over 28 million, but none of it has yet to reach musicians like they claimed it would.
I didn't exactly have a stunned expression on my face when I read that. I'm sorry, but I don't remember where I read it unless it was on Wired.com within the last week.
"Derp de derp."
The companies, including Universal Music, Sony Music, Warner Music, Bertelsmann's BMG Music and EMI Group, plus retailers Musicland Stores, Trans World Entertainment and Tower Records....NOT the RIAA. Although that group about covers it. Do a search before posting the story.
Gorkman
I would expect at least 50% of that settlement to go directly to the lawyers...and they get their money first :(