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Is RIAA's MediaSentry Illegal in Your State?

Posted by Zonk on from the only-you-can-prevent-mediasentry dept.

NewYorkCountryLawyer writes "Is Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG 'investigator' MediaSentry operating illegally in your state?. The Massachusetts State police has already banned the company, and it's been accused of operating without a license in Oregon, Florida, Texas, and New York. Similar charges have now been leveled the organization in Michigan. Michigan's Department of Labor and Economic Growth, in response to a complaint, has confirmed that MediaSentry is not licensed in Michigan, and referred the complainant to the local prosecutor."

8 of 200 comments (clear)

  1. Explaining RIAA Behavior by spun · · Score: 5, Funny

    Cocaine makes you feel more powerful and important than you really are. Hookers always tell you you're doing the right thing.

    --
    - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    1. Re:Explaining RIAA Behavior by BoomerSooner · · Score: 4, Funny

      Elliot? Are you giving us more to go on?

  2. Guilty as charged. by RandoX · · Score: 4, Funny

    I move for civil damages of $700,000 per IP. And damages against Comcast for "making available" those IP addresses.

    1. Re:Guilty as charged. by laffer1 · · Score: 2, Funny

      No, Comcast can file a lawsuit as well. Remember, since they send packets out to p2p apps, it is possible MediaSentry is actually communicating with Comcast instead of you. This is the beauty of Comcast impersonating people online, they get to sue too.

      --
      MidnightBSD: The BSD for Everyone
  3. Re:Abuse of Power, Government Sanctioned? by PC+and+Sony+Fanboy · · Score: 2, Funny

    In theory, the balances and checks in the american system are designed to prevent this sort of abuse at the top. So, in theory, the american system should prevent all problems like this... and in reality, well - you decide if it is working.

  4. Re:Freedom by Wowsers · · Score: 2, Funny

    So anyone should be able to walk off the street and present evidence in a court case while claiming they are an expert at gathering said evidence? It's worked for the RIAA so far.
    --
    Take Nobody's Word For It.
  5. Re:Freedom by janrinok · · Score: 2, Funny

    So it wasn't used to good effect?

    --
    Have a look at soylentnews.org for a different view
  6. Re:Freedom by NewYorkCountryLawyer · · Score: 2, Funny

    Please excuse the stupid question, but how, exactly, is MediaSentry conducting their investigations? It's not a stupid question. Even the RIAA's expert witness doesn't know. (See transcript, p. 32, li. 20 - p. 33, li. 6):

    20 Q. Do you know what processes and
    21 procedures MediaSentry employed?
    22 A. I do not know the inner works of
    23 MediaSentry processes and procedures.
    24 Q. Do you know what software they used?
    25 A. No.
    2 Q. Do you know if it was well known
    3 off-the-shelf software or if it was proprietary
    4 software?
    5 A. Again, I do not know the inner
    6 workings of MediaSentry's operations.
    --
    Ray Beckerman +5 Insightful