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RIAA Ends "Clean Slate" Scam

Posted by timothy on from the put-down-the-pen-slowly dept.

ChiralSoftware writes "The RIAA Clean Slate program, started in September, which allegedly attracted 1108 suckers, has finally been dropped. What was wrong with this program? The RIAA was offering something it had no ability to offer, namely amnesty for copyright violations. The mark would admit in a sworn written statement to having violated the law, but was not getting any real amnesty in return for this admission. Despite anything the RIAA says, other copyright holders can still sue a program participant who violated copyright laws, and of course only a US Attorney can offer amnesty for criminal copyright violations. In fact, the RIAA was sued for making false claims of amnesty. The RIAA of course has a different spin on it; they ended the program because their education had succeeded."

21 comments

  1. status ?? by kayen_telva · · Score: 2, Interesting

    In fact, the RIAA was sued for making false claims of amnesty.

    Does anyone know the status of this claimed suite ? Seems like a slam dunk to me.

  2. liability insurance by Sammich · · Score: 4, Interesting

    They probably got Liability Insurance in case the 'marks' tried to sue them back.

  3. Like... by Bricklets · · Score: 5, Funny

    [RIAA] ended the program because their education had succeeded

    Like how the high school bullies would educate the nerd population on the best way to invest their lunch money?

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    Little Bricklets
    1. Re:Like... by xenocide2 · · Score: 2, Insightful

      More like how the U.S. Attorney General's office would educate the RIAA on amnesty.

      --
      I Browse at +4 Flamebait

      Open Source Sysadmin

  4. Extortion? by moosesocks · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Doesn't it seem like the program was no more than a form of extortion? It seemed illegal on so many fronts. "Sign this agreement or we'll sue you for more money than you'll ever have". Things like this are illegal to prevent organized crime which is exactly what the record industry is turning into (not killing people -- but merely restricting personal rights and controlling the government.

    That being said, I think the artists do need some sort of union to prevent widespread piracy. It's just that the RIAA has stepped far beyond its boundaries. Methinks labor unions shouldn't be exempt from antitrust laws.

    --
    -- If you try to fail and succeed, which have you done? - Uli's moose
    1. Re:Extortion? by SpaceLifeForm · · Score: 2, Funny
      s/RIAA/SCO/g

      then

      s/SCO/MS/g

      See a pattern?

      --
      You are being MICROattacked, from various angles, in a SOFT manner.
    2. Re:Extortion? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If it is extortion, would it fall foul of RICO? This type of action reeks of racketeering.

    3. Re:Extortion? by LittleBigLui · · Score: 1
      s/RIAA/SCO/g then s/SCO/MS/g


      result:
      That being said, I think the artists do need some sort of union to prevent widespread piracy. It's just that the [SCO|MS] has stepped far beyond its boundaries. Methinks labor unions shouldn't be exempt from antitrust laws.


      yeah. makes sense.
      --
      Free as in mason.
    4. Re:Extortion? by gnu-generation-one · · Score: 1

      "s/RIAA/SCO/g
      then
      s/SCO/MS/g
      See a pattern?      "

      Yeah : missing semicolons.

  5. Education my left eye by dacarr · · Score: 4, Funny
    Calling this education about copyright is like calling standing in a fire zone education about bullets.

    Now pardon me while I go download some mp3z. Oops.

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    This sig no verb.
    1. Re:Education my left eye by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      I think that Fire Marshall Bill should do a demonstration on file downloading and the RIAA.

      Now that would be education!!

  6. Suit; Counter Suit by UID1000000 · · Score: 0, Offtopic

    This all reminds me of a recent John Grisham novel, King of Torts, where a lawyer sues someone product liability and the case goes through in months. The lawyer wins but there are damages beyond what the case. So another lawyer who's pissed off sues the lawyer because the law has already judged the plantiff and the defendant.

    I understand that the context is different but perhaps something similar might happen. Instead of them suing the RIAA they could sue the RIAAs lawyers. That would be interesting...

    --
    UID 1000000 is just around the corner.

  7. Well, duh! by Otter · · Score: 2, Funny
    Yes, the RIAA amnesty only applied to legal action from the RIAA. It did not, say, protect D-Link from misusing GPL'd source code.

    Was there anyone so dimwitted as to think otherwise? If so, I hope YRO will step in to clarify that their polio immunization doesn't make them bulletproof.

    --
    What I'm listening to now on Pandora...
  8. How did they word their amnesty claim? by Toxygen · · Score: 4, Interesting

    the RIAA was sued for making false claims of amnesty

    Did the RIAA say that they wouldn't sue you, or that you wouldn't be sued? If it was the former, IANAL but wouldn't that be the same as an out of court settlement and hence it would be legal? The RIAA might be ignorant and stupid, but I'm sure their lawyers aren't.

    1. Re:How did they word their amnesty claim? by CarrionBird · · Score: 1
      That brings up an interesting point, what right do they have to sue anyone? According to them they are a trade orginization, they have never made or published a single song.

      One would think that it would be up to the individual publishers to pursue legal action.

      --
      Free Mac Mini Yeah, it's
  9. RIAA raids by GuyMannDude · · Score: 2, Interesting

    The mark would admit in a sworn written statement to having violated the law, but was not getting any real amnesty in return for this admission.

    Could you at least get immunity from getting raided by a gang of RIAA jacket-wearing FBI wannabes?

    GMD

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    watch this
  10. now they'll stop going after sharers, right? by j-turkey · · Score: 2, Funny
    The RIAA of course has a different spin on it; they ended the program because their education had succeeded."

    Great -- their education has succeeded. Now they can stop going after file sharers...right?

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    -Turkey

  11. RIAA scam by Oshkoshjohn · · Score: 1

    Are you still buying CD's? Stop. You don't need to commit acts of priracy to see bands perform live.

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    Goddamned kids! Get off my lawn!
    1. Re:RIAA scam by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Obviously, you've never had to pay ticketmaster for concert tickets!

    2. Re:RIAA scam by Oshkoshjohn · · Score: 1

      There are many local clubs with quality, live regional acts in any music genre you want. We're talking about five to ten dollar covers here.

      --
      Goddamned kids! Get off my lawn!