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RIAA Says Accused Students Are Settling
As we've been reporting, the RIAA has been offering settlements to college students suspected of sharing music online. Reader Weather Storm notes that more than a quarter of the alleged music pirates have accepted the RIAA's offer. Quoting: "...an attorney Ohio University arranged to meet with its students... said $3,000 is the standard settlement offer, though cases have settled for as much as $5,000."
If "More than a quarter of the alleged music pirates have accepted the RIAA's offer", what are the other 74.9% doing?
People paid protection money to organized crime outfits too, it really shouldn't be that surprising. Not always worth protecting your money and pride in the face of such potential troubles.
Unfortunately, the RIAA is operating under the guise of lawfulness, and has its hands in the lawmaking process. Hopefully the efforts they are going through to kill their market will cause change for the better.
Let's just start a big campaign to email RIAA members songs to the execs of the RIAA. After a few million from domains/users that don't even exist, that should exaust a lot of their time/money. They'll never see it coming.
"When life gives you lemons, don't make lemonade. Make life take the lemons back!" -- Cave Johnson
Today I was in a bar and a middle aged couple I know were asking me about their computer. She works for a local public school and needed to access her school email account. She thought since they were Apple and she had Dell she needed some sort of specialized Apple software to check ger mail (hang in there, this really is on topic). She uses Yahoo's web based mail at home. I explained that email was email and computer brand had nothing to do with it and she just needed an email client and suggested Thunderbird.
Then she asked about Kazaa. I suggested Morpheus because you can download your music into a folder other than her shared folder, and explained the RIAA lawsuits and how the music industry had the world's sleaziest people.
They had been bar owners and had had dealings with ASCAP, who wanted money from both them AND the kareoke people. They wanted money even after they got rid of the bar!
Amyway, it turns out that they were using iTunes at her school; she thought iTunes and Kazaa were the same! Most normal people (not you or me, obviously) have no clue about any of this shit.
They know all about how our government is for sale to the RIAA, though, having been bar owners before.
Don't these damned college kids vote? Look, if you don't vote, get off my lawn you damned kids!
mcgrew's razor: Never attribute to stupidity that which can be explained by greedy self-interest
You are breaking the law, Jimmy. It's a sad thing, when a man breaks the law: can't get a job, gets kicked out of school, hell, what if he has to go to jail? A man could go away for a long, long time, couldn't he? But maybe, if you work with us, we can make sure that you don't get convicted of breaking any law, eh Jimmy?
Create a situation in which the illegal alternative is preferable to the legal alternative. Sue those that break the law. Convince them to settle, using the rest as "examples," to get other people to fear you.
Why hasn't anyone used RICO and extortion laws against the RIAA? Am I the only one that sees this? Yeah, these guys are breaking a law: but the RIAA is running a racket here, and is exhtorting and blackmailing these kids. So send em to court, get the law changed to something sane, and sue the pants off the RIAA under RICO, or something similar.
Mod Points: Helping you keep your opinion to yourself.
What choice do they have but to settle really?
75% decided not to settle. I'd say fighting is the overwhelming popular choice.
Friends don't help friends install M$ junk.
The problem is that nobody knows how many innocent people the RIAA has extorted money from. What about those who don't own computers? What about the 10 year old girl they just attacked? What about the dead woman? ...
The only reason the college kids are paying up is because they can't afford to defend themselves. It is a lot like the protection racket used by organized crime and gangs today. Pay us or we'll really hurt you.
There was a deposition on Groklaw that pretty much sums up the fact that the RIAA identification techniques probably wouldn't stand a chance in court. There is a LOT of Doubt about the accuracy of the RIAA tactics. More than reasonable too.
Banjo - The more I know about Windoze, the more I love *nix
Please understand the definition of the word "Crime" before posting such idiocy.
There is nothing "criminal" about copyright infringement. Someone can take you to court
and sue you, but there is nothing criminal about that. It certainly isn't considered
"theft" by the laws of this country: never was, never will be.
Secondly, how do you feel about being robbed? Because you were robbed. Something
was taken away from you that is worth an enormous amount of money and it was taken
away from you by the RIAA. When copyrights are extended indefinitely, instead of
entering the public domain as they were originally deemed by law -- what is actually
happening is that the RIAA is stealing from the public for their own interests.
Did you have a say in that? Did you agree to give up what was rightfully yours?
Or was it just taken away from you with the stroke of a pen? Because that, my friend
is theft. Plain and simple.
Copyright infringement is not theft. But taking public property for personal gain
is absolutely theft. Now who is the guiltier party?
------ The best brain training is now totally free : )
I understand this, and I think that's how most people view it. I was, however, thinking about this the other night, and I think that if they sent me a letter, I'd fight it. I don't steal anything anymore (within the spirit of the law, sometimes not within the letter (I have multiple backups of CDs I've bought, stuff like that)) - I'm a Christian. Although I did, admittingly, have a shady past. However, stealing was the least of my crimes.
I would have to get the money from somewhere, or I would represent myself. I know, anyone representing themselves has a fool for their council... But, I would fight it for a few reasons. I don't like being called a criminal; especially by cowards. I don't think you should take the credit or the blame for something you didn't do unless it is for the good of the greater. Furthermore, I think that I could, strictly on technical grounds, defend myself quite well. I'm confident in my skills (Software development major), and I could probably rip apart any 'expert' who would allow themselves to be hired by the RIAA. They would probably beat me into the ground on the political front, although, I think that I could use my technical ability and the hacker (not cracker!)community as a great platform. I could easily show that I have no motive; I use Ruckus and have all the free music I'd like. Lastly, I have a rack of all the original CD's I've bought, (except one which I lost years ago, although I have the album in MP3 - spirit of the law, not letter) as well as my email reciepts for the music I've bought on iTunes.
I just don't think they could really establish me as a pirate. It would take a lot to try to make up that pattern of behavior. That, and, if I got a letter, it would be a wrongful accusation since I don't pirate to begin with.
But mostly, I just couldn't live with myself if I backed down to a bully. Granted, I'd most likely lose, but I'd still know that I showed more spine than a good percentage of the populace. I guess it boils down to it being a personal issue. I guess it would be worth it for me to lose everything I have (broke college student: all I really own is old hardware that I keep fixing to get by) simply to send the RIAA the message that not everyone is spineless, and not everyone is a criminal. What do you do when confronted by bullies? Drop the biggest one as fast as possible and hope the rest leave. As the quote goes, "nothing asserts authority so much as silence".
I understand those who buckle simply because they really do have something to lose; sometimes what you stand for has to take a back seat to providing for your family. The idealist would say no, but we can all be extorted when the right pressure point is found. I happen to be in a position where I can't afford $3K, I don't really have any possessions; for me giving in would be a 'loss', whereas fighting and losing in court would be more akin to a 'tie'.
I guess it's a matter of heart in a head-on collision with the reality of the world we live in. I'm sure I'd fold if they could find the right button to push; but it's very unlikely at this point in time.
If I mod you up, it doesn't necessarily mean I agree with what you've said, sorry.
Meh...
Can me a cynic or heartless or whatever. I don't really find that art benefits society as a whole by making money anyway... The music that has meant the most to me were passed down folk-tunes, and classical music that was paid for by audiences and sponsors.
Nobody has a right to make money. They depend solely upon the perception that their product is worth paying for. If a very talented performer needs more songs or scores... they'll pay the writer and make up the diff in ticket prices. It's business not welfare.