njdionysus Posted June 25 Report Share Posted June 25 Music Labels Step Up Internet Piracy Hunt WASHINGTON (AP) - The embattled music industry disclosed aggressive plans Wednesday for an unprecedented escalation in its fight against Internet piracy, threatening to sue hundreds of individual computer users who illegally share music files online.The Recording Industry Association of America, citing significant sales declines, said it will begin Thursday to search Internet file-sharing networks to identify users who offer "substantial" collections of mp3 music files for downloading.It expects to file at least several hundred lawsuits seeking financial damages within eight to 10 weeks.Executives for the RIAA, the Washington-based lobbying group that represents major labels, would not say how many songs on a user's computer will qualify for a lawsuit. The new campaign comes just weeks after U.S. appeals court rulings requiring Internet providers to identify subscribers suspected of illegally sharing music and movie files.The RIAA's president, Carey Sherman, said tens of millions of Internet users of popular file-sharing software after Thursday will expose themselves to "the real risk of having to face the music.""It's stealing. It's both wrong and illegal," Sherman said. Alluding to the court decisions, Sherman said Internet users who believe they can hide behind an alias online were mistaken. "You are not anonymous," Sherman said. "We're going to begin taking names."Country songwriter Hugh Prestwood, who has worked with Randy Travis, Tricia Yearwood and Jimmy Buffett, likened the effort to a roadside police officer on a busy highway."It doesn't take too many tickets to get everybody to obey the speed limit," Prestwood said.Critics accused the RIAA of resorting to heavy-handed tactics likely to alienate millions of Internet file-sharers."This latest effort really indicates the recording industry has lost touch with reality completely," said Fred von Lohmann, a lawyer for the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "Does anyone think more lawsuits are going to be the answer? Today they have declared war on the American consumer."Sherman disputed that consumers, who are gradually turning to legitimate Web sites to buy music legally, will object to the industry's latest efforts against pirates."You have to look at exactly who are your customers," he said. "You could say the same thing about shoplifters - are you worried about alienating them? All sorts of industries and retailers have come to the conclusion that they need to be able to protect their rights. We have come to the same conclusion."Mike Godwin of Public Knowledge, a consumer group that has challenged broad crackdowns on file-sharing networks, said Wednesday's announcement was appropriate because it targeted users illegally sharing copyrighted files."I'm sure it's going to freak them out," Godwin said. "The free ride is over." He added: "I wouldn't be surprised if at least some people engaged in file-trading decide to resist and try to find ways to thwart the litigation strategy."The entertainment industry has gradually escalated its fight against piracy. The RIAA has previously sued four college students it accused of making thousands of songs available for illegal downloading on campus networks. But Wednesday's announcement was the first effort to target users who offer music on broadly accessible, public networks.The Motion Picture Association of America said it supported the efforts, but notably did not indicate it plans to file large numbers of civil lawsuits against Internet users who trade movies online.MPAA Chief Jack Valenti said in a statement it was "our most sincere desire" to find technology solutions to protect digital copies of movies.Rep. Howard Berman, D-Calif., who has proposed giving the entertainment industry new powers to disrupt downloads of pirated music and movies, said the RIAA's actions were overdue. "It's about time," Berman said in a statement. "For too long ... file-traffickers have robbed copyright creators with impunity."The RIAA said its lawyers will file lawsuits initially against people with the largest collections of music files they can find online. U.S. copyright laws allow for damages of $750 to $150,000 for each song offered illegally on a person's computer, but Sherman said the RIAA will be open to settlement proposals from defendants."We have no hard and fast rule on how many files you have to be distributing ... to come within our radar screen," Sherman said. "We will go after the worst offenders first."The RIAA declined to estimate how much it expects to spend on the lawsuits. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruph Posted June 26 Report Share Posted June 26 this looks serious Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinninrecords Posted June 26 Report Share Posted June 26 said.. "GET OUT OF BED"...."SHUT DOWN THE COMPUTER"..."THERE GIVIN OUT $150,000 FINES"...for using filesharing programs.. and he was dead serious.. no joke... WTF.. how simple can someone be?.. i dont even keep Mp3's on my computer... i burn em right away.. this guy cant be serious... I literally have 6 on my PC.. WTFjust venting.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mangledx Posted June 26 Report Share Posted June 26 RIAA Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fliz77 Posted June 26 Report Share Posted June 26 The RIAA are foolish...they are Suing their own consumers...futher creating a rift and more anger toward the record buss. As someone in the business I believe the RIAA needs to figure out alternatives to fighting people who may DL but also buy records. Maybe $18.99 is far too much to pay for a cd with 1 or 2 good songs on it. Just my opinion.Fliz Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wakeup Posted June 26 Report Share Posted June 26 Originally posted by fliz77 The RIAA are foolish...they are Suing their own consumers...futher creating a rift and more anger toward the record buss. As someone in the business I believe the RIAA needs to figure out alternatives to fighting people who may DL but also buy records. Maybe $18.99 is far too much to pay for a cd with 1 or 2 good songs on it. Just my opinion.Fliz I agree but since ur an MP3 whore you might be one of the 1st on the list:laugh: oh wait let me put a;) so u dont get bent out of shape Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mangledx Posted June 27 Report Share Posted June 27 Originally posted by fliz77 The RIAA are foolish...they are Suing their own consumers...futher creating a rift and more anger toward the record buss. As someone in the business I believe the RIAA needs to figure out alternatives to fighting people who may DL but also buy records. Maybe $18.99 is far too much to pay for a cd with 1 or 2 good songs on it. Just my opinion.Fliz exactly....the RIAA have been ripping off the consumers for years..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruph Posted June 27 Report Share Posted June 27 Originally posted by fliz77 The RIAA are foolish...they are Suing their own consumers...futher creating a rift and more anger toward the record buss. As someone in the business I believe the RIAA needs to figure out alternatives to fighting people who may DL but also buy records. Maybe $18.99 is far too much to pay for a cd with 1 or 2 good songs on it. Just my opinion.Fliz Good point. If mp3s were sold online, I would be completely for buying them. I wish they would think of something, a program like soulseek for example, which would charge a monthly fee for its use. And then, the people who run these servers such as soulseek would reimburse the artists/record labels. Why is that not an alternative the RIAA is proposing? Does it look to be that far-fetched and not possible?And yes, paying 20 bucks for a CD with 80% shitty songs on them is too much. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teknojunkee Posted June 27 Report Share Posted June 27 Paying 12.99 for a CD is too much. To me 8.99 is all a CD should cost...I mean come on....artists are selling MILLIONS of CD's...so they make a few million less...Im a landscaper, let it go to the people who work hard for their money.Tek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mangos Posted June 27 Report Share Posted June 27 Originally posted by Ruph Good point. If mp3s were sold online, I would be completely for buying them. I wish they would think of something, a program like soulseek for example, which would charge a monthly fee for its use. There is such a thing...its called Napster. Havent heard much about it in a while? Prolly because they actually do charge and people like you dont wanna pay...ya just wanna make it sound like you do. I've posted this site on here for a while now. Check it out if you wanna scam artists out of more money....www.buyyourfuckingmusic.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruph Posted June 27 Report Share Posted June 27 Originally posted by mangos There is such a thing...its called Napster. Havent heard much about it in a while? Prolly because they actually do charge and people like you dont wanna pay...ya just wanna make it sound like you do. I've posted this site on here for a while now. Check it out if you wanna scam artists out of more money....www.buyyourfuckingmusic.com ye, you know me Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
njdionysus Posted June 27 Author Report Share Posted June 27 Originally posted by Ruph Good point. If mp3s were sold online, I would be completely for buying them. http://www.apple.com/music/storeThe revolutionary iTunes Music Store puts 200,000 songs at your fingertips. It’s built right into iTunes 4 and lets you search or browse genres, new releases, exclusives and more. Preview any song for free. When you find a song you want, buy it for just 99¢. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinninrecords Posted June 27 Report Share Posted June 27 to many songs on that 200,000 list i really want. But the idea's getting better.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spinninrecords Posted June 27 Report Share Posted June 27 when i buy records once or twice a week they would be .99 cents.. i would buy a new car! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fuckinsensor Posted June 28 Report Share Posted June 28 Originally posted by mangos There is such a thing...its called Napster. Havent heard much about it in a while? Prolly because they actually do charge and people like you dont wanna pay...ya just wanna make it sound like you do. I've posted this site on here for a while now. Check it out if you wanna scam artists out of more money....www.buyyourfuckingmusic.com was gonna say that but u gotta remember, if u can get something for free, most people are gonna do that then pay for it. think about it, buying a vinyl, ur paying about 10 bucks for 2 or 3 songs, if u can get it for free, why not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mangledx Posted June 29 Report Share Posted June 29 www.buyyourfuckingmusic.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mindfaqd Posted June 29 Report Share Posted June 29 Originally posted by mangos There is such a thing...its called Napster. Havent heard much about it in a while? Prolly because they actually do charge and people like you dont wanna pay...ya just wanna make it sound like you do. I've posted this site on here for a while now. Check it out if you wanna scam artists out of more money....www.buyyourfuckingmusic.com this argument is getting sooooooooooo old. try this site....WWW.GETOFFYOURHIGHHORSE.COM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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