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Class Action Initiated Against RIAA

NewYorkCountryLawyer writes "Ever since the RIAA's litigation campaign began in 2003, many people have been suggesting a class action against the RIAA. Tanya Andersen, in Oregon, has taken them up on it. The RIAA's case against this disabled single mother, Atlantic v. Andersen, has received attention in the past, for her counterclaims against the RIAA including claims under Oregon's RICO statute, the RIAA's hounding of her young daughter for a face-to-face deposition, the RIAA's eventual dropping of the case 'with prejudice,' and her lawsuit against the RIAA for malicious prosecution, captioned Andersen v. Atlantic. Now she's turned that lawsuit into a class action. The amended complaint seeking class action status (PDF) sues for negligence, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, federal and state RICO, abuse of process, malicious prosecution, intentional infliction of emotional distress, violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, trespass, invasion of privacy, libel and slander, deceptive business practices, misuse of copyright law, and civil conspiracy."

21 of 315 comments (clear)

  1. More, please! by AltGrendel · · Score: 5, Funny

    sues for negligence, fraud, negligent misrepresentation, federal and state RICO, abuse of process, malicious prosecution, intentional infliction of emotional distress, violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, trespass, invasion of privacy, libel and slander, deceptive business practices, misuse of copyright law, and civil conspiracy.

    Can you add sheer stupidity and pigheadedness to that?

    Oh, and while you're at it, tell them that we plain old don't like them.

    --
    The simple truth is that interstellar distances will not fit into the human imagination

    - Douglas Adams

  2. I know how it'll go down by weak* · · Score: 3, Funny
    The witness has testified that you are personally responsible for the murder of a New York City police captain in 1947 and with him a man named Virgil Sollozzo. You deny this?

    RIAA: Yes, we do.

    --
    The Schwartz space ain't from Spaceballs.
  3. Add me by Edward+Ka-Spel · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yes, I have been illegally downloading music for years, I want to be a part of this class action suit.

    Oh, wait... Umm... nevermind.

  4. On the subject of a class action suit by Haiku+4+U · · Score: 5, Funny

    Dear RIAA,
    Turnabout is fair play, you
    rich smokers-of-cocks.

    Love, Haiku 4 U
    P.S. I look forward to
    great music sans you.

  5. CELEBRATE! by WwWonka · · Score: 3, Funny

    ....after reading this glorious news it may be the first time I have wanted to leave my cubicle and head out into the streets to shout at the top of my overworked underpaid lungs...

    "FLAVOR FLAAAAAAV!"

    then I will promptly head back inside and continue to use our company's massive internet bandwidth to keep downloading pirated music.

  6. Re:About time someone did this by Billosaur · · Score: 4, Funny

    Agreed. You get the pitchforks, I'll find the torches... and I think some tar and feathers would be in order to... BTW, where is there HQ again? If we can't find that, their lawyers' offices will do...

    --
    GetOuttaMySpace - The Anti-Social Network
  7. Re:So, Mr. NewYorkCountryLawyer, by mcrbids · · Score: 3, Funny

    $10 says the lawyers are the only winners.

    If you are right, wouldn't that make you a winner too?

    --
    I have no problem with your religion until you decide it's reason to deprive others of the truth.
  8. I disagree. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I am very proud of the RIAA. They have proven that some people still actually care about protecting intellectual property (copyrights in this case). I have written many articles supporting the RIAA and encouraging students to purchase music. None of the high school students or college students think critically about their downloading of music illegally. These same students fail to understand why grammar and strong arithmetic skills are important. It seems being a scofflaw goes wih lack of academic excellence. Maybe people who fail to understand the ethical implications of their copyright violations have poor critical thinking skills. Unauthorized copying (downloading) of music really does hurt the record labels and the artists. Most of them don't have any talent, except for Madonna. Even unauthorized copying of the other artists is as bad as stealing from a thrift store. It is trash, but it is still wrong. It is not as tangible as theft of physical items, but it is still illegal and ethically wrong. The RIAA has always worked to advance the quality of music. For example, the RIAA helped establish standards for record cutting so that everyone could enjoy the music. The RIAA knows that unauthorized copying of music is significantly affecting the revenues of the record labels it represents. Unfortunately, it is going to be very hard to stop the mass unauthorized copying with lawsuits and digital rights management due to the nature of computers and people who are ethically challanged. Hardware solutions will likely reduce the amount of unauthorized copying, but it is difficult to secure anything from someone with physical access to the computer. It is really sad to see society so blatantly breaking the law without any care about the ramifications.

    1. Re:I disagree. by Pojut · · Score: 1, Funny
      Wall of text crits you for 9,999 damage.

      These same students fail to understand why grammar and strong arithmetic skills are important.
      Apparently, so do you.
  9. Re:So, Mr. NewYorkCountryLawyer, by MajinBlayze · · Score: 2, Funny

    If only lawyers win, and he wins, HE'S A LAWYER
    Watch out!! *hides*

    (wow, glad I previewed, I almost called him a LAYER)

    --
    "Hate is baggage. Life's too short to be pissed off all the time." Danny Vinyard -American History X
  10. I just creamed my pants by danZbar · · Score: 2, Funny

    "Class Action...RIAA." YES, YES, YES, OH GOD... I will never wash these pants again.

  11. Re:About time someone did this by Himring · · Score: 4, Funny

    "I come back to you now, at the turn of the tide." --Gandalf

    --
    "All great things are simple & expressed in a single word: freedom, justice, honor, duty, mercy, hope." --Churchill
  12. Re:Slashdot is closed minded. by Volante3192 · · Score: 2, Funny

    I thought you got modded down because you inferred Madonna has talent.

  13. Re:About time someone did this by heelrod · · Score: 2, Funny

    They haven't had a good band ever!

    You must be a Jessica Simpson fan

  14. Re:So, Mr. NewYorkCountryLawyer, by eth1 · · Score: 2, Funny

    $10 says the lawyers are the only winners.


    Hmm... So, if only the lawyers win, you win $10, which means that the lawyers AREN'T the only winners, so you shouldn't win your $10. But then the lawyers would be the only winners! Now if only they'd all disappear in a puff of logic...

  15. Re: Class Action Initiated Against RIAA by SL+Baur · · Score: 4, Funny

    Downloading is theft! But wait. A couple of articles ago, they were saying that not downloading ads was theft. I'm so confused.
  16. Re:So, Mr. NewYorkCountryLawyer, by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny
    (wow, glad I previewed, I almost called him a LAYER)

    That would actually be LESS of an insult.

    I don't know, calling somebody a female chicken could be quite insulting.

    - Bryan

  17. Re:About time someone did this by menkhaura · · Score: 3, Funny

    And do you think that posting anonymously will keep you anonymous? They know about everything you write, They know about everything you do, They know when you log into the Internet, They read your e-mails, They intercept your phone calls, They trace your travels and your expenses. You might think I'm joking, but I'm not, this is serious. You, sir, are in deep trouble.

    --
    Stupidity is an equal opportunity striker.
    Fellow slashdotter Bill Dog
  18. Re:Please let this go through... by AeroIllini · · Score: 2, Funny

    Hollywood delivers the goods on movies... Oh, man, I hope that's some super clever satire I missed.
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  19. Initial reaction by Odinson · · Score: 2, Funny

    For some reason the song "The Final Countdown" popped into my head. The worst part is, now I have to go buy a whole album so I can get it out.

  20. Re:About time someone did this by TheRaven64 · · Score: 3, Funny

    Ray, Ray, Ray, you really should have learned by now. Don't leave important information in the article; no one makes it that far. If it's important, put it in the comments; that's all anyone here reads. Think of us as cheap barristers; we may listen to what you say, but we almost certainly won't read the brief before offering our expert opinions on it...

    --
    I am TheRaven on Soylent News