Say goodbye to the RIAA, for its days are numbered. EMI, one of the "big four" record labels that feeds $132.3 million every year to trade groups such as the RIAA and IFPI, has decided that its money could be better spent elsewhere. It's reportedly considering cutting its funding towards the trade groups significantly, which would make it a lot harder for the RIAA to sue people, invade people's privacy and generally be huge dicks.

EMI is a business just like any other company, and its new owners must have realized that spending $132 million a year to alienate their customers was providing them with a really poor return on investment. I mean, it's just not good business sense. Will any of the other major labels follow suit? Time will tell, but if they do you can pretty much wave goodbye to the era of the RIAA having influence. A bittersweet victory it would be, as I'd need to find something else to bitch and moan about every day, but it'd be worth it in the end. [Ars Technica]

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