Kevin,
Kevin Grierson wrote:
<snip>
I am not a big fan of the RIAA, and I personally think that it really missed
the boat with the internet-a cross company platform like iTunes is welcome but
about 3 or 4 years too late. That said, they've spent millions of dollars on
educational advertising to no apparent effect, and it appears the only way to
make an impression on the average consumer/file-sharer is to smack a few of the
most egregious offenders around, hoping to scare the rest into compliance (and
it does appear to be working, at least based on anecdotal evidence that traffic
on the P2P networks has decreased since the suits started). Suing your
customers is never a good idea, but if they're stealing from you, do you really
have much of a choice?
The problem is the RIAA is defending a parasitic system that preys on
both the artists and the customers who would buy their music.
Most of the talk about copyright misses the point that it rarely
protects the real author, musician, the creator of the intellectual
property. In the modern context, it protects large corporate enterprises
that are wedded to inefficient and predatory distribution systems.
I don't think anyone would argue that artists/authors/etc. should be not
compensated for their work. Problem is there is this large beast between
artists and their customers that is sucking up all their compensation.
Doubtful that the laws will change, afterall public policy generally
follows the money.
Real change will come when customers don't illegally download music but
also boycott all CDs for a month. Unplug the power supply for the beast
and it will collapse of its own weight. Month might not be long enough
but you get the idea. Make their current practices their downfall.
Suggestion: Have all download sites, legal and otherwise, and the
petition pick a month to boycott CDs. December of this year would be a
good target. Don't think it is illegal to not purchase goods in the US,
at least not yet.
Hope you are having a great day!
Patrick
My two cents,
Kevin Grierson
Kevin W. Grierson
Willcox & Savage, P.C.
One Commercial Place, Ste. 1800
Norfolk, Virginia 23510
mailto:[email protected]
ph: 757/628-5603 fx: 757/628-5566
http://wilsav.com
Sign up for our E-Commerce Newsletter at
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<[email protected]> 09/16/03 03:14AM >>>
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Sign our Petition to Stop the RIAA Lawsuits!
Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2003 17:57:42 -0700 (PDT)
Dear EFF Supporter:
This is astounding - in the first 24 hours, over 6,000 people have
signed our petition to stop the Recording Industry Association of
America's (RIAA) nationwide rampage against average Americans. Rather
than working to create a rational, legal means by which its customers
can take advantage of file-sharing technology and pay a fair price for
the music they love, it has chosen to sue people like Brianna LaHara, a
12 year-old girl living in New York City public housing. Take a stand
against the RIAA's tactics by signing our petition:
http://www.eff.org/share/petition/
Brianna, and hundreds of other music fans like her, are being forced to
pay thousands of dollars they do not have to settle RIAA-member lawsuits
-- supporting a business model that is anything but rational. This
crusade is generating thousands of subpoenas and hundreds of lawsuits,
but not a single penny for the artists that the RIAA claims to protect.
Copyright law shouldn't make criminals out of 60 million Americans, and
it's time for a change. Congress is going to hold hearings; we need our
help to make sure that the public's voice is heard. Tell Congress that
it's time to stop the madness:
http://www.eff.org/share/petition/
We'll deliver the petition to Congress once we've hit 10,000 signatures.
This is a grassroots campaign - please take the time to tell your
friends and family about this issue. Thanks for support!
Sincerely,
Ren Bucholz
EFF Activist
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Topic Maps: Human, not artificial, intelligence at work!
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