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RIAA Dumps Unsold Inventory to Settle Anti-Trust Case
theodp writes "A music windfall promised to WA public schools and libraries from last year's $143M anti-trust settlement with the recording industry wasn't all it was cracked up to be. While WA got 115,241 music CDs out of the deal, folks aren't quite sure what to do with the odd collection, which includes 387 CDs containing explicit lyrics by Big Pun, 310 copies of Will Smith's Willenium and 48 copies of Spooky Scary Sounds for Halloween from Martha Stewart."
They could use the Big Pun CDs as part of English class and how not to speak. Classics such as "Nigga Shit", "You Was Wrong", and "Off Wit His Head" are excellent examples of poor grammar. So it's obvious that the RIAA was thinking about our school children there.
The Spooky Scary soundtrack can be used to frighten children away from prison. "Listen to Martha screaming as she is tackled by larger more 'friendly' inmates!" Again, point for the RIAA.
114 copies of Meredith Brooks' "Blurring the Edges," which includes the Grammy-nominated song, "Bitch."
It was nominated for a Grammy so it must be good! The RIAA was doing them a favor obviously.
Farley's regional district, which covers 35 school districts, received 1,355 copies of Whitney Houston singing "The Star-Spangled Banner." The hit single, which Houston sang before the 1991 Super Bowl at the height of the Gulf War, was 5 percent of the district's cache.
Yes, let's promote a current drug abuser with a husband that likes to stay in prison. That's the sort of lesson we want to be teaching our children. "Look kids, you too can be a successful musician *and* be a crackhead!"
While these examples are a small part of the 115,000 total CDs I still have to say, "way to go RIAA, you are corrupting our children with crappy music in stores, radio, and now even in the classroom! Thanks!"
I think fire is the solution.
..the kids didn't get a copy of Marthas next album..."Not Quite Spooky Sounds from Cellblock 11."
Didn't Microsoft have a similar payout in one of its settlement cases? At least people can use software, nonoby, and I mean nobody can use 300 copies of a crap CD that didn't sell very well to begin with. What a rip-off!
They might as well have sent them 10,000 AOL CDs.
what? what I thought we were in the trust tree in the nest, were we not?
Spooky Scary Sounds for Halloween is the shit! I blast that on my 15s while sippin' on 40s.
What with deranged strangers bursting into your home and smashing all of the copies they can get their hands on (before trying to induct you into their cult and sell you aluminum siding), there is always the danger that you will be without an actual copy of "Willenium" at a vital moment. I find absolutely nothing wrong with the RIAAs actions in this settlement. I just wish I could share in the windfall. I've personally purchased over 15,000 copies of "Willenium" since it's release. I'd buy 15,000 more when necessary.
See the "creativity corner" at the bottom of this page. ;)
This might keep them busy for a while
Trolling using another account since 2005.
..is why God invented handguns.
...which was to just pay cash. But in pennies.
What do you mean?? This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for schoolkids to conduct important research on compact disc aerodynamics and durability! Take them up to the roof and see how far they'll fly. See what the old magnifying-glass-in-the-sun trick does to them. Or you could lay them all down data-side up on a grass hill, turn on the hose and make a kickass Slip N' Slide!
What are they going to do with these CD's? The answer is obvious! Rip 'em and put 'em on KaZaA!!
My Quadra 950 can beat up your honor student.
If you didn't know, Creed broke up... anything else is just details.
"The truth suffers from too much analysis"
Oops. I hope my parole officer doesn't read this post.
Robert Frost's parole officer doesn't read that.
and a win for me, now I'm totally comforted with the fact Willenium will always be on hand and ready for me to check out.
and three more, CONTEMPT OF COURT. RIAA officials should be jailed for this bullshit until they come up with educationally significant materials, like the full catalog of classic recordings. this is like being required to post a deposit at the clerk of court's office and doing so by taking their pants down.
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
Good point. I bet when SCO gets slammed by the SEC they'll settle by donating "100 million dollars worth of Linux licenses" to the US government.
> many of the CDs are going to troops in Iraq
"CNN and the BBC is reporting that occupation troops, fuelled by a massive wave of enthusiasm and adrenaline, have retaken all cities that had been overrun by the Sadr militias. Citizens are rejoicing in the streets, shops are open for the first time in weeks, and a butterfly was seen landing on the head of a beautiful little girl in a wheelchair. When asked for a comment, General Tommy Franks said 'Never underestimate the power of the Wu-Tang Clan. And from now on, call me by my Shaolin name 'DefSquad'." When asked for clarification of his cryptic remarks, Franks shouted "36 Chambers be lookin' for ya, al-Zarqawi! Don't be a biatch!" Franks then left in a Humvee that had been freshly pimped by West Coast Customs."
Quote the article "Part of the settlement the recording industry made with states' attorneys general was that the giveaway CDs couldn't be junk, Larson said. Titles had to be on a Billboard chart for at least 26 weeks and had to peak in the top half of the chart."
I don't know about the rest of you but I've always regarded the Billboard chart as the height of quality control. I personally was skeptical about such musical masterworks as "Rock Me Amadeus" and the timeless classic "Macarena" until I saw their prominent standings on the Billboard chart. My only hope is that the RIAA will be forced to also release the gold master special edition box sets of Vanilla Ice's "Cool As Ice" which can only be truly appreciated in 22 channel surround sound.
... that if I get sued by the RIAA I can settle out of court and pay them with MP3s?
FLR
They could've given them this (windows media player required, sorry).
"And a voice was screaming: 'Holy Jesus! What are these goddamn animals?'" - HST
What to do will 100,000-plus useless CDs?
Send them to AOL!
Remain calm! All is well!
Fourteen tons of tritonal explosive coupled with plastique, electronically fused. Zirconium fragments and easily-made napalm, with multiple thermite grenades attached for maximum incendiary effect.
I think the RIAA has provided a great example of how to settle a lawsuit. If I'm ever sued by the RIAA, I will offer to settle with them for a cash equivalent in my fecal matter, valued at $15.99 per ounce.