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RIAA Goes After CNET For Media-Conversion Software
First time accepted submitter moj0joj0 writes "Two days after YouTube-MP3.org, a site that converts songs from music videos into MP3 files, was blocked from accessing YouTube, the RIAA has asked CNET to remove software from Download.com that performs a similar function. The RIAA focused its criticism on software found at Download.com called YouTubeDownloader. The organization also pointed out that there are many other similar applications available at the site, 'which can be used to steal content from CBS, which owns Download.com.' CNET's policy is that Download.com is not in any position to determine whether a piece of software is legal or not or whether it can be used for illegal activity." For a sufficiently broad definition of "steal," you could argue that all kinds of software (from word processors to graphics programs to security analysis tools) could be implicated.
Don't these dorks know there is not much difference between streaming and downloading.
Name your wifi network "RIAA Monitor Station"
RIAA has asked Unix vendors to remove the 'cp' command since it can be used to make illegal copies of music software.
They can take my LifeAlert pendant when they pry it from my cold dead fingers.
I'd like to know where the RIAA/MPAA draw the line. Does skipping ads on radio and TV count as theft? How about just channel surfing during the ad-break, or getting up and making some coffee? Or just hitting "mute"?
Does remembering a song in my head count as ripping them off if I don't also own the CD? If I go to a friend's house is it wrong to listen to or borrow their CDs and DVDs, or watch their cable TV?
I can buy a portable DVD player and take my discs with me. How is it any different if I rip the discs to watch on my phone or laptop. If I own a DVD but can't be bothered to rip it to my phone is it okay to download a .torrent version? The MPAA's members put all sorts of DRM crap on the disc to make ripping harder, making the download more attractive.
If I buy a DRM locked song and the seller turns off their DRM servers so I can't play it any more is downloading an MP3 from The Pirate Bay morally acceptable?
const int one = 65536; (Silvermoon, Texture.cs)
SJW, n: "Someone I don't like, and by the way I'm a fuckwit" - AC
"CNET's policy is that Download.com is not in any position to determine whether a piece of software is legal or not or whether it can be used for illegal activity." --- It seems pretty obvious that a program designed to download youtube videos is infringing on copyright. Though I guess you could argue said program is no different than a VCR (which the SCOTUS ruled can legally capture video and store it).
My AC stalker: " I personally agree with your posts most of the time, but that won't keep me from modding you troll"
Hey! RIAA - go after the OS that most of those nasty conversion program users have installed - Windows!
Yup, go after Microsoft. Line your coffers just like Oracle and SCO have done with their brainstorms.
Holy shit. How much software can NOT be used for illegal activity?
$ ls /usr/bin /bin /usr/local/bin | wc -l
2695
Betting all of that could be "used for illegal activity". Never mind that there are maybe half a dozen media format conversion tools in that list, but check THIS out - there's a tool called g++. With it, I can CREATE tools that could be used for illegal activity, such as media format conversion. It's a meta-illegal tool. Man... posting anonymously, so they don't come after me.
- CD/DVD writers could be used to burn copyrighted content?
- USB stick could house copyrighted content?
Or to make it broader, supplying tools to do unlawful actions..
- Gun can kill people! Outlaw guns? (That could be good)
- Cars can kill people
- Baseballbats can kill people, lets forbid those tools too!
Right?
cnet is owned by cbs.. a significant *content producer* and distributor. cbs obviously doesn't care... they surely know what kind of articles and applications are posted to cnet.. they've left it alone all this time, so, riaa.. WTF?
Fuck You.
Shoes for Industry. Shoes for the Dead.
Any program language that can be used to drive TCP traffic is capable of this.
The functionality is provided by the libraries that come with the OS. So they should ban the OS's.
never ever do anything that can make the riaa or mpaa money, just don't do it.
I've always hated theft. It is one of the 10 commandments. I grew up learning to hate it because people stole from me. When someone steals your bike, your wallet, or other personal possessions, it hurts. You are now deprived of it, while someone else is selling it for $10 of crack. Stealing hurts innocent people. I continue to hate stealing.
But, if I paint my bike blue, and my next door neighbor, seeing that, paints his bike blue, he didn't steal my bike. I can call him a "copy cat". But, I still get to ride my bike. I just won't be the only one on the block with a blue bike.
Yes, we all know the theory of lost sales. But, we all know that copying information does not mean that the person would of purchased that copy of that information if they had not of copied it against the will of someone claiming ownership of that information.
Thus, I lose respect for anyone who tries to insist that copying information is a violation of the 10 commands along with "though shall not kill" and "though shell not commit adultery". Our laws do not support that claim, and we should do more to discredit those who make it.
Don't get me wrong. I do not advocate copyright infringement. I am just tired of hearing people try to confuse people into thinking that copying information is hurting people like stealing real physical property does and is a violation of one of the 10 commandments.
Open Standards Portal
RIAA, would you like to sue Microsoft for having software that ships in Windows that can record audio-out and save it to a wav/mp3 file? And how about Apple, for my iPhone having the same feature (even if the sound is more difficult to get off the device). And pretty much anyone else with a digital audio recorder. Because right now, I can record your songs right off the radio, in fairly OK quality! What if I hum your new hit single? What if I type some of the lyrics? Just curious here. The MPAA failed miserably in this battle against VCRs, what makes you think you're going to succeed with music?
Oh and, why is Google going along with this? This is implementing a DRM by effectively disallowing access to YouTube to anyone who saves its content. What next, you'll ban me from YouTube if I re-enact something I see on YouTube as well? The only logical step to follow this action is to ban all users who put up videos that are clearly exercising Fair Use of content posted on YouTube, because clearly they had to download copyrighted content to do it!
When is this nonsense going to end?
You can take it from my cold dead hands
Could the editors change all future references from the RIAA to theft to copyright infringement. Just a little tired of the ongoing misrepresentation.
The members of the RIAA and MPAA are organized and systematic tax avoiders in time of war.
With tricks like the Double Dutch Sandwich and the Double Irish Arrangement they willfully and purposely have avoided paying taxes to the US government for decades.
Their assets should be seized for the public domain and their employees should be thrown in prison.
I'm a Youtube content creator. I want people to download and share my Youtube content. Does this mean my right to share stuff should be trumped by a vague notion of piracy?
In a strange turn of events, it turns out that slashdot user "Mordok-DestroyerOfWo" is actually Dan Quayle.
let CNET burn, im tired of them bundling in malware in their "download managers/installers".
There must be a dozen or more Firefox plugins that enable downloading of flash videos. There are even plugins that enable batch downloading of entire Youtube playlists. They are very convenient for watching hi-res versions of videos when you don't have the bandwidth to reliably stream them.
Guns are a tool that can be used to kill people. If the RIAA is against the availability of tools that can (among other uses) be used for criminal purposes, is it also anti-gun? Sounds pretty un-American to me.
Hello Pot, meet Barbra Streisand.
"It's the height of ridiculousness to say for those 9 lines you get hundreds of millions."
I can copy and paste a copyrighted story, picture, etc.. from a website into Word. Does that make it blacklisted program also ? BTW: I use to use youtube downloader all the time (before FF plugins). We had satellite internet as the only option in our rural area, it had small daily download limits, so I would save videos at work and bring them home to watch.
The RIAA members should stop uploading of any content to YouTube which they do not wish to be copied.
Sorry mate, you lost all rights to your content the moment you uploaded it to Youtube. It's now Youtube's content so whatever you want is irrelevant.
sumbum gona bitch to youtoob dat u copied dem, den sumbum else guna tryna shake ur tree for moar monies dey dun care if you done it yourself for realz dey guna make a play for your moneiez. Dey all lie say belong to dem n tryna sue U and U can't win no moar. It all fight fight fight last dood standing git all ur moneiz. U think riaa care bout you?
This strange comment at the bottom of the message is illogical.
You probably gave up your rights when you uploaded the content. Doesn't matter what you want (sadly).
Better nobody tell the RIAA you can just record from the OS's stereo mixer.
A private company can limit access to their servers which is what YouTube is doing. This is very different than conversion software which translates files on a person's computer to another format for use in another program. I believe that courts have already ruled that format shifting is legal and maybe even fair use.
You probably gave up your rights when you uploaded the content. Doesn't matter what you want (sadly).
Au contraire...
http://www.youtube.com/t/creative_commons
Thanks MPAA, I hadn't heard of this software, so I just grabbed a copy. Works great!
Posting it to my server now.
It's the snake eating it's own tail.
Better start telling them NO soon.
Good for you, CNET. Please, also add that they may kiss your collective ass for asking.
I don't even have a need for copying content but every time the RIAA opens the bung hole they call a mouth it makes me want to do it any way.
Peace, K1
If the people in the RIAA were running a brick and morter store association, they would be demanding legislation declaring hands illegal because hands can be used to steal merchandise from stores.
FTRIAA and the horse it rode in on.
Guns can be used to commit crimes, therefore they must all be banned!
Cars can be used to kill people or destroy property. They've got to go as well!
Screwdrivers can be used to break into cars and houses. We need to ban those too!
Airplanes, ships, and trucks can be used to transport counterfeit goods across borders. Away with them!
CyberKender
Apparently Appointed Lord Mayor of There
Someone needs to DCMA RIAA for once. Find a copyright violation on RIAA and release legal DMCA hell that they did order by demanding laws. That can be used against RIAA and MPAA. As they are using them against people today.
The RIAA is eventually going to go after and piss off the wrong entity. When that happens, look out.
of uses people make of their uploaded content even if it is outside Google's terms. Everyone understands that Google terms server it's own selfish goals of making ad revenue and are not an anti-circumvention device. Many Youtube users do not need agree to Google's terms. The popularity of these tools just goes to demonstrate this. This is a matter between Google and its users, or between content authors and Google.
Any software Can be used for an illegal purpose. It's up to the user to constrain his own activities to what's legal.
There were people who were hired to sit in the theatres and transcribe all they could of things like Shakespeare's plays as they were presented. Is that really stealing or is it media shifting with pen and paper?
Just to be safe we'd better outlaw paper, pencils and pens along with all the digital technology that can be used to make copies of things.
With this logic every man has to be castrated. Because men have the device that can be used to rape women.
That depends on how much money you can spend on bribes for politicians.
I mean, MAFIAA is aiming not on the word "STEAL", but actually, they are aiming to curtain almost _EVERYTHING_ that we do online (and offline)
I mean, what if I come across a very stunning picture in some site somewhere and I dl it and make it my desktop screen background - it's legally not 'stealing', just borrowing, and we do that all the time
What MAFIAA wants is an online world where no one can do nothing - yes, that's what they are after
I am _really_REALLY_ sick of MAFIAA !!
Muchas Gracias, Señor Edward Snowden !
My local library has a vast amount of music CD - available for borrowing !!!
Please excuse my cynical response, but why don't they just ban all software that can be used to create anything, all cameras, all microphones. How about pencils, paper, paint and brushes too? Everything you can conceivably use to (re)produce any media whatsoever? Heck, just ban eyes and ears too. That'll solve the problem. Once nobody can record or play back anything, media will be safe. There was once this fable about the goose that laid golden eggs... but if I tell it somebody will undoubtedly sue me for copyright infringement.
All you have to do to access the underlying video URL on a YouTube web page is open it as source, find the .flv (or other) link. That you can then download by right-clicking on it and saving it to your disc. From there, you can do what you want with it. The fact is that these tools just look at the page source and do just that. The subsequent fact that the RIAA seems oblivious of this means that they are just pure and simple bullies that are upset because someone else wants to play in their sandbox...
I have stopped buying music, no matter how much I want to support the artist. I will not contribute to the warchest of these asshats.
People may criticize KimDotCom, but if he had gotten MegaBox up and running (where you can pay royalties directly to the artist), the RIAA/MPAA would have been toast - and I would have been in the front line clapping and cheering. It's unusual that the FEDS only targeted one "sharing site" - the one that had the means to bypass the RIAA/MPAA... hmmm...
I call on my fellow Slashdotters to boycott the RIAA and MPAA. As soon as an avenue pops up that allows me to donate directly to artists, I will support it 100% - I will put my money where my mouth is.
F*** the MAFIAA
The RIAA wants to ban a piece of software that might be used to record copy righted music with out paying for it. As others have pointed out, there are many things that could be used to copy music, not just the utility mentioned. And again, as many have pointed out, where do you draw the line? Should paper and pencil be banned because someone might use it to transcribe the music into notes and record them on paper along with the lyrics that were heard? It's nonsense. With all of the potential ways to duplicate music, there is no way to block them all without hurting society in general. No sir, the only way to ensure that copyrighted music is not "illegally" copied is to prevent the copy righting of music to begin with. In that way it will be impossible to duplicate copyrighted music as copyrighted music will not exist.
My impression was that CNET was the RIAA's best buddy lately. I was involved in a case where the RIAA leaked a cease and desist letter to CNET 3 or 4 days before it was received by the named recipient.
I'm surprised they would turn on CNET
Ray Beckerman +5 Insightful
"which can be used to steal content from CBS, which owns Download.com"
Sure, but a baseball "can" be used to rectally penetrate the CEO of CBS... should we ban the sale of those?
where no one can do nothing
So everyone must do something?
RIAA Laywer: Excuse me local gun shop owner, you can no longer carry the following guns, as they may be used in a crime... Gun store owner introduces RIAA to his law firm Smith & Wesson, then contacts the NRA and gets this all sorted out.
Software doesn't steal copyrighted content, people steal copyrighted content.
I don't get the anger.
we have the representatives they have selected for us. and there are products they have released for us to consume, plus even given us a few ways to consume them.
I think we should just trust our corporations since they could not have gotton as far as they have if they didn't know what was best for us.
--
"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
in 3, 2, 1 ....
I think the FBI better confiscate all those remaining AOL CDs, as the software may be used for something illegal...you can cut them into razor sharp throwing stars and assault someone with a deadly weapon lol.
Btw, the RIAA is on to me! I have these things called ears that can allow me to replicate a song by memorizing it and singing it back at will in virtually unlimited amounts!
I already did. I use FLAC instead.
That is why we need to call them what they are, just as they think they can turn copyright infringement into theft we need to label them with a name that denotes their true purpose....Leeches. that is ALL that they are, they are the middle men, bleeding the consumer AND the artist of every Shekel they can, wanting to destroy one of the most powerful free communication systems in world history for their own gain, leeches.
Jim Sterling at Zero Punctuation has a nice rant and while his is mainly about games the sentiment is the same, its leeches pushing draconian crap like SOPA and PIPA and its all about control, so they can leech.
ACs don't waste your time replying, your posts are never seen by me.
The RIAA should go after people with crappy headsets for broadcasting music in public without a license. I would personally help them in taking these people out with maximum prejudice and cruel and unusual punishment.
MMO Quests are like orgasms:
You may solo them, I prefer them in a group.
Next step for RIAA : sue the pant of firefox off for having the possibility of addon like this one: https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/easy-youtube-video-downl-10137/
or this one https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/video-downloadhelper/
Then sue the pant off any software which convert MP4 to MP3 leaving the sound track only, and finally sue the shirt off anybody else for having ears receiving sound signal, ear bones which convert that song into a new format : brain signals.
C. Sagan : A demon haunted world:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0345409469/
visit randi.org
The organization also pointed out that there are many other similar applications available at the site?
I really love club dresses ,
please please let this be the legal action that will come back and kill the RIAA.
I never had to know this before, but is CNET big enough to withstand and punch back any legal actions thrown by the RIAA?
I will convert whatever data I want into whatever format I need, and then use whatever software to open it in.
1) CRTL+A
2) CRTL+C
3) ?
4) CRTL+V
5) Profit!
Sig for hire.
But they take the content from the artist and give it to the consumers. They have people skills dammit!
Completely off topic: What does "kill" mean in the 10 commandments? And, do you happen to have a citation?
lol
My radio is an illegal device. It transforms music from electromagnetic waves in to sound waves.
My brain is an illegal device. It transforms music sound waves into electricity and chemical reactions.
How does the RIAA know it is being used for downloading copyrighted material. I use YouTubeDownloader all the time to download private videos of my grandkids that my daughter, who lives in a distant city, posts on YouTube. By saving them on my computer I can play them on my TV. My Samsung "smart" TV can't access YouTube videos that are private - guess its not so smart.
They panicked and whined to congress and unleashed their lawyers when the VCR could capture and convert analog TV signals to VHS format They panicked and whined to congress and unleashed their lawyers when the DVR could capture and convert digital TV signals to a video file Now they panic again and whine to congress and and unleashed their lawyers when software can capture and convert streaming content to a video or music file. The past two cases were deemed legal. Why should this be any different?
They better start a massive campaign to remove the Print Screen button from all computer keyboards because I can take screen shots of copy-written material with it.
Fuck you, Nvidia
Fuck you, Time Warner
Fuck you, RIAA
Who's up next?
Beauty is in the eye of the beerholder.
uhh... errm... hmm..
what?
-- This space for lease, low setup fee, inquire within!
Just like leeches between the host and leech-predators.
"When information is power, privacy is freedom" - Jah-Wren Ryel
And make thinking illegal.... after all, I could use my mind to think the song in my head, thus violating the copyright. We can't have that, so let's just make thinking illegal, just in case.
Basically that's it. Beyond that is what they want.
Thus the case of law is: we wanted something to happen a certain way and it didnt.
People Skills!!!!
captcha: Leeches
It can however be a violation of copyright - but that is amoral law who's time has come. The politicians and their rich corporate friends can only maintain unwanted and amoral laws for so long.
If Google really cared they would fix Android Chrome to reflow text, instead of discriminating
Bribe is such a bad word, we'll call it lobby.
Conversely infringe is just not nasty enough, we'll call it steal.
Man, life is so much fun when you can use the media to make words mean different things according you your whims.
Download.com serves the world with software. It would seem to me that the RIAA should be suing or charging the authors of the software, not a download site. It's not like a takedown notice where the RIAA claims to own the materials being distributed.
But hey, when you can buy a government, I guess you can try pretty much any asinine ploy you choose.
I do not fail; I succeed at finding out what does not work.
Stop stealing music. Wow. Why do people think they are entitled to things for free?
For a short moment in time, I almost started to feel a whole lot better about my relationship with big corporations. I started to feel a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. Then, reality took back over and I continued my ever persistent frown on the subject.
Hey, dickholes, you'll never plug the fucking analog hole, so plugging the digital ones is useless. Fucktards! Jesus H. T. D. Christ. Even if they plugged the thing all the way to the fucking speakers, you could still put the speakers in a foam-lined cardboard box with a high quality stereo microphone, and "STEAL" it that way. By getting into a pissing contest with your customers, you just look like a bunch of MORONS. Every few days, I teach some new kid about the analog hole, and show them that there is no way anyone can stop you, and it's not illegal either, since you can legally record radio broadcasts, and it's basically the same thing, since what you get is an imperfect, analog copy, that is nevertheless perfectly acceptable for listening pleasure. Of course, I just use the output jack and the mic-jack with a dubbing cable, but the principle's the same. I record whatever I want, and buy only when I find something I really like, to support the artists.
Of course, increasingly, I've just been sidestepping the whole thing, by going to jamendo.com, which features a zillion Creative Commons FREE songs and albums, and then if I like a band, I can contribute to them DIRECTLY, and avoid paying into the RIAA's warchest, which they then use to wage war against me, and others as music consumers. Since discovering Jamendo, I have been systematically removing copies of music I haven't legally purchased from my electronic media collection, and replacing them with FREE music.
It's been a while now since I've bought ANY new music via CD, since buying that way funds the RIAA, which is something I won't do if I can help it. Soon, my entire collection will be free, and I won't have to worry about the machinations of the RIAA and their goons. In short, FUCK THEM.
If enough people did this, the RIAA could be strangled, and would wither and die without all the cash they're making off people continuing to spend their hard-earned money on CD's only a tiny part of which actually goes to the people who actually MADE the music.
Want to REALLY piss the RIAA off? Get your music free, AND legally! Show artists they don't need a "label" or the "industry" or the "ASSociation". Then it will go away, music will be free again, and when someone mentions the RIAA, everyone will reply "Who"?
Union of musicians and listeners UNITE!
I don't think so. I think that what *AA are after is a world where everyone who ever uses any sort of "content" (listens to any sort of sound ; reads any sort of word ; views any sort of image ; smells any sort of scent ; tastes any sort of taste ; feels any sort of texture ; has any sort of sensation), then the "owner" of that content gets paid immediately, and that any "reuse" of that content (including by re-experiencing the content in one's memory) also incurs (and actually pays) a fee.
We don't (yet) have much technology relevant to the textures and sensations, or to controlling or detecting the use of in-skull memory to replay. YET.
(Actually ... on that tangent, it might be that the girls and receptive guys might get the teledildonics experience first, because the equipment may be simpler and probably cheaper. Doing a quantum of research and "There also exists a DIY community experimenting with teledildonics, centered on opendildonics.org, the Slashdong blog and the Arse Elektronika conference." Oh dear, I'm not sure I want to pursue those links any further. NOT SAFE until the wife goes to the gym.)
Remote control of sufficiently flexible chemistry sets to make-on-download this odour molecule, or that taste molecule, then deliver it ... that's a difficult problem. But lab-on-a-chip is a real, existing technology, so I'd class it as a "difficult" problem, but not necessarily "impossible".
Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"