Telcos Stand Against RIAA

john82 writes "In an interesting and insightful article, NetworkWorld Fusion discusses how lawyers for SBC and Verizon are fighting the RIAA's attempts to monitor their customers. As we've heard before, RIAA wants the telcos to report when users download any copyrighted material. Lawyers for SBC and Verizon are fighting back. They also claim that the RIAA is trying to grant themselves powers that are outside of even the Patriot Act. Now where have heard that before? NWFusion also points out that RIAAs handwaving, threats, tantrums have less to do with protecting the rights of musicians, than with protecting the revenue stream created by an out-of-date distribution system." In other RIAA news, taped2thedesk writes "According to the Washington Post and Ars Technica, the RIAA will now contact P2P users before suing them." The RIAA's not so bad, they'll settle out of court over the phone, if you don't mind paying up instead of getting a lawyer.

Comments

Telcos not perfect either

[a no n y man 123]

Every time a story like this is posted, I see a number of posts saying "God bless SBC!" or "I love Verizon!"

Before you assume they're suing the RIAA just to protect your privacy, think again. The main reason is to avoid the costs of looking up someone's info every time the RIAA issues a subpoena.

Re:Telcos not perfect either

[FeloniousPunk]

So what? Do you require your benefactors to be saints before you accept or even appreciate their help? It's enlightened self-interest. I could care less about their motives, that they're fighting the RIAA is enough for me.

Re:So does this mean ...

[kfg]

Yeah, yeah. I know.

But taking your comment seriously for a moment I might point out that offering positive feedback to one's enemy when they behave in a manner you find desirable isn't hypocrisy.

KFG

Re:Oh please, this is only a cost thing.

[netbornmusic]

How do companies survive so long after so many people actively loath them?
Because much more people don't know or don't care. Tens of millions people buy what RIAA sells. I think that all this antifilesharing campaign's real purpose is just to frighten the majority of people. They aren't very familiar with the details, what is really legal, what is not, etc. They just hear over and over that downloading of mp3s is illegal and may end up in jail. So they just keep buying...

Re:Bullshit...

[nathanh]

"...than with protecting the revenue stream created by an out-of-date distribution system."

Mod me down (I have plenty of karma to burn) but I am so sick and fucking tired of hearing this line of tripe. If you have something better than put your money where your mouth is otherwise shut the fuck up. Saying something over and over ad nauseum does not make it true.

How isn't the distribution system horribly out-of-date? The very concept of taking data, sticking it onto physical discs, putting those discs inside plastic wrappers, moving those discs via trucks, holding them inside stores, requiring the consumer to transport themselves several kilometres to buy the disc, then transport it home, simply so the customer can play music? That system makes sense for physical goods; not for pure data.

Internet distribution of music is modern, efficient and convenient. You can argue (though you didn't) that the current systems are broken because the artist isn't compensated, but I don't see how you could possibly argue that the physical distribution system is anything other than antiquated. It's a 100-year old distribution model that hasn't significantly changed despite several generations of telecommunication improvements.