RIAA Continues Distributing Dud CDs to Satisfy Settlement

cosyne writes "Part of the music industry's recent price fixing settlement involves giving free CDs to public libraries. Although they are technically complying with the the letter of the law, they're abusing the spirit by giving the libraries large piles of crud. According to the Stevens Point Journal, '[the] Milwaukee Public Library received 1,235 copies of Whitney Houston's 1991 recording of "The Star-Spangled Banner," 188 copies of Michael Bolton's "Timeless," 375 of "Entertainment Weekly: The Greatest Hits 1971," and 104 copies of Will Smith's "Willennium."' The recording industry obviously wouldn't want to have libraries loaning out music that people might otherwise buy." See also a related story about shipments to another state.

Comments

Does using the word "continue" in the headline...

[DeepHurtn!]

...mean that we can't complain it's a dupe?

On the Road to Utopia

[mfh]

> Although they are technically complying with the the letter of the law, they're abusing the spirit by giving the libraries large piles of crud.

I think the problem is that the RIAA only has access to large piles of crud. Let's face it -- Britney, Justin, which other Mousekateers-turned-popstar are there? Chicken of the Sea Girl, Nick whatever-his-name-is, and the list goes on and on.

Indies are being given a huge door to stroll through and every time the RIAA screws up, it helps the indies get more market share. So I'm all for the RIAA being asshats, because they are on the road to Utopia.

Damn

[gordgekko]

This totally explains why I haven't been able to buy a copy of Willenium anywhere. All the copies are in Milwaukee!

Re:Damn

[jb.hl.com]

Or as it is now known, Willwaukee.

Michael Bolton

[Anonymous Coward]

Why should I change, he's the one who sucks!

Not so!

[SpooForBrains]

This can't be true. Only yesterday I loaned out a copy of Sounds of the Supermarket: 20 Shopping Greats.

Re:Not so!

[Gleng]

At least you still have "Reggie Wilson plays the Lift Music Classics", "Pop goes Delius", and "Funking up Wagner".

Prior Art

[Qrlx]

AOL lawyers will be in court Monday seeking an injunction against the RIAA. A company spokesman said "Mass-mailing the same useless CD over and over again is but one of many valuable innovations in AOL's patent portfolio. We find it ironic that the RIAA, purported champion of Intellectual Property rights, has adopted our highly successful business model without ever paying us one cent in licensing fees or royalties."

Did somebody say "Micahel Bolton?"

[crimethinker]

"I gotta tell you, I'm a huge fan of Michael Bolton. Of course, you must be an even bigger fan, what with you having the same name."

"Um, yeah, he's OK."

...

"I told those fudge-packers I liked Michael Bolton's music."

-paul

You forgot the best line.

[Feztaa]

Samir: "You know there's nothing wrong with that name."

Michael Bolton: "There was nothing wrong with it... until I was about 12 years old and that no-talent ass clown became famous and started winning Grammys."

Re:Sorry. I hate the RIAA

[Saeger]

No amount of law making saved the canal boats from the invention of the automobile.

And the advent of the computer & internet didn't exactly help the library system either. As the digital divide slowly closes, libraries will become little more than free (as in speech and beer) cybercafes, and museums for deadtree books and other old media.

Ahh... I can't resist a Futurama reference :)

Thanks to its incredibly generous benefactors - the Wong Dynasty - Mars University owns the largest collection of literature in the universe. The collection is kept at the Wong library on two discs: Fiction and Non-Fiction.

--

very close

[geekoid]

You are very close to using the power of IT to bring change.

Blacklist all the RIAA mail servers.

Least favourite

[rawr90]

These of course, the albums least downloaded on the internet

Ask Will

[PW2]

It would be entertaining for some magazine to ask Will Smith how he feels about the RIAA using his name and product in this manner.

Willennium is now synonymous with dumping unwanted product to satisfy a court order that any further attempts could easily be referred to as "pulling a willennium".

No no no

[Anonymous Cowpat]

They sell "junk"

They don't sell junk, at least not enough, that's why they're complaining.

Instead, it's "everyone's pirating our junk!"

Utterly missing the fact that they aren't selling because it's junk.

Show the RIAA what you think, buy a CFM box-set!

Re:They had an opportunity to look good

[0WaitState]

...giving the library volumes of cultural stuff like Brahms, the pipers of Scotland...

Pipers of Scotland??? Are ye daft, laddie? Does ya thenk thee RIAA wants te gie te Gitmo?

Willennium a dud?

[Anonymous Coward]

Please! It's one of the finest hip-hop records ever released!

Re:BlackListing?

[argent]

So does this mean that "accused murderer" is a legally recognised race?

The music industry is amoral...

[Snaller]

... so what did you expect.