http://www.djmag.com/news_5.asp
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SMALL-SCALE PIRATES TO AVOID PROSECUTION
Words: Terry Church
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which is responsible
for investigating and prosecuting copyright infringement in the US, has
said it will no longer concentrate on personal copyright cases and instead
only investigate large-scale piracy.
The RIAA, changed its' stance over copyright after US Senator Norm Coleman
of Minnesota, described the RIAA's plans as "excessive". The RIAA used to
target individuals and demanded they cough up compensation for their
alleged infringing behavior. In some cases the fines were as high as
$150,000.
The RIAA recently revealed its methods for tracking down suspected music
pirates. By using digital fingerprints, investigators can tell whether a
track had been downloaded from an unauthorized service. ?Metadata? tags are
also used, which can provide hidden clues about how files were created.
Dance music has been relatively unaffected by internet piracy, as DJs
continue to use vinyl despite the digital revolution. However CD DJing has
become increasingly popular in the last year, and dance music record
companies have started to adopt digital download services to compete
against illegal downloads. The tunes are available for as little as 90p a
track, but whether people will pay for a legit copy rather than an illegal
freebie remains to be seen.
For more on the activities of the RIAA: www.riaa.org
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Wow, Norm Coleman found a heart hidden in his body.
MEK
