RIAA's "Sue 'em all" jihad results in drop in sales

[red_jon]

If anyone really thinks anti-piracy chiefs can do anything, they need to see this

http://www.hugi.is/hahradi/bigboxes.php?box_id=51208&f_id=723

From the good ol' year of 1992. C'mon guys, get wit' da posse!

[Urban Ranger]

The BSA has been trying to do the same thing and failing misrably. They are only driving people to the other side.

[yaroslav]

In Spain, there have been sues not against music-shares but against commercial programm-shares. If I recall it correctly, it was an initiative from one Spanish group, and the BSA was not part of it.

[Soul Survivor]

I think it would be a lot more effective if instead of going after individuals they go after the programs individuals use. Suing your customers is generally a bad business practice.

Eventually if they keep shuting down all the various programs, a good number of people will just quit looking for alternatives. And once traffic is spread among a large number of small networks it will become more and more difficult for people to get music on the internet.

I'm sure they could hire a few people to completely **** up Kazaa's network beyond repair. Might not be legal, but isn't justice just preforming an injustice on the unjust?

[yaroslav]

Kaaza's network maybe, but Emule network could be a little more difficult, I think (I don't know details about the infamous Earth-station five P2P, so I don't know whether it would be easier or not)

[mrmitchell]

CD sales were dropping anyways. However, great work by the RIAA to accelerate the drop by keeping prices outrageous and by suing their customers.

SS: Didn't they try to shut down Napster by that scheme? And then KaZaA, eMule, iMesh, etc. all popped up.

Also, two wrongs don't make a right, not that the RIAA cares.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Soul Survivor
I think it would be a lot more effective if instead of going after individuals they go after the programs individuals use.

That's not possible, since P2P programs do have legitimate uses.

[Drake Tungsten]

iTunes, BuyMusic, etc. will never catch on to make anything significant as long as they have so many restrictions for what you can do with the music you now own.

This reminds me.

Been in Japan for a month, Glonk. Music purchased from iTunes still works fine. Guess that was just another of your unfounded anti-Apple rants.

[optimus2861]

Originally posted by Oerdin
Pretty much. Though the RIAA says they're taking down the IP addresses of everyone they find trading music on line reguardless of national origin. They then inform the local authorities about illegal activities.

In Canada, there's no DMCA, thus no "drive-through subpoena" provision to allow the Canadian version of RIAA (forget its name) to quickly get its hands on ISP subscriber information. Evidence would have to go before a judge for approval before any subpoenas could be issued. Too much time & expense to bother with for the record labels, especially if they run up against technically inept or ornery judges who couldn't be bothered with what can be perceived as petty crimes.

Plus, with the levies that exist on blank recording media in Canada, there's an argument to be made that the labels are getting paid for music that gets shared online, or at least for the portion that winds up on blank CD-Rs; and/or that the provisions in the Copyright Act that specifically allow for private copying may apply.