Gizmodo
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piracy
RIAA Member Settles Suit After Defendant Proves She Did Even Not Own a Computer
RIAA member Universal Music Group was forced to settle a piracy suit it had brought against Mavis Roy after suffering a bit of a setback in their prosecution: Mavis Roy did not own a computer when UMG first brought suit. More »
31,297
107
By Dan NosowitzComment by Jcsarokin: "Roy" should sue for lible or slander or something.. GET THAT MONEY!! 24 Responses | Other threads
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justice
Court Orders File-Sharer to Pay $80,000 Per Song to RIAA
A delusional Minnesota court has ordered Jammie Thomas,wanton criminalKazaa user, to pay a total of $1.92 million for sharing 24 songs. As my own little protest, I'm going to illegally download Metallica's entire discography. And I hate Metallica. More »
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By Dan NosowitzComment by Shikestarr: Quit your whining, children. Buy your music, don't share it on pirate networks. Problem averted. There is... 45 Responses | Other threads
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blockquote
Blockquote: "Suing your customers is a bad idea"
Irving Azoff, CEO of Ticketmaster: "They were afraid of Napster, they were afraid of iTunes; The business resists change...Basically the record industry sat around and tried to protect an old model; Yeah, suing your customer is a bad idea." [All Things D] More »
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By Brian LamComment by ACEACEACE: damn, that last sentence needs a comma or two, no? 7 Responses | Other threads
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piracy
This About Sums Up the Entertainment Industry's Pirate Bay 'Victory'
Enjoy feeling like you're making progress while you can, suits. It won't last too long. [alt1040]
38,687
By Adam FrucciComment by Joewithay: The entertainment industry needs to think of a better way to fight piracy. Here is an idea: Lower... 21 Responses | Other threads
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net neuterality
Your ISP Hates You: They're Probably Working With RIAA
Remember how the RIAA was getting ISPs to help battle copyright infringers after they gave up lawsuits, and AT&T was all "no comment"? Now AT&T confirms they're working with the RIAA. UPDATED. More »
24,210
Comment by DayWeSpilledThePaint_GitEmSteveDave: ::Taps his external drive twice encrypted which may or may not have downloaded content on it:: 15 Responses | Other threads
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inevitability
RIAA Layoffs 'Bloodbath' May Be the Beginning of the End for the Evil Organization
The RIAA is currently laying off dozens of employees in what's been described as a "bloodbath" at the lawsuit-happy organization. Could this be the end of the RIAA? More »
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By Adam FrucciComment by Lupison: If they weren't mostly lawyers I would shed a tear for them. 12 Responses | Other threads
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file sharing
RIAA and BSA's Favorite Lawyers Taking Top Department of Justice Posts
RIAA-fan Biden's influence in the Obama administration may be larger than anticipated, at least when it comes to file sharing: His good pals with RIAA and BSA connections keep getting Department of Justice's seats. More »
18,306
By Jesus DiazComment by N@tedog: You voted for the guy. Reap what you sow. 18 Responses | Other threads
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itunes
Steve Jobs Bullied Record Execs Into iTunes Deal on Christmas Eve
While Steve Jobs wasn't personally at Macworld to reveal that iTunes was going DRM-free and OTA downloadable, he's the one who made it happen—he bullied Sony Music's chairman over the phone on Christmas Eve. More »
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Comment by djfoxx64: As a musician, I'd like to remind everyone music is art, not a commodity. Fuck Jobs and fuck the labels, both... 24 Responses | Other threads
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internet
AT&T and Comcast Agree to Do the RIAA's Dirty Work
Sure, the RIAA has given up on lawsuits, but it's got an even better trick: ISPs will do their dirty work for them. Not surprisingly, AT&T and Comcast stepped right up, says CNET. UPDATED. More »
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Comment by inspiredEpic: This is a bit off topic so I apologize in advance. But why aren't the commas working? 27 Responses | Other threads
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lawsuits
RIAA File Sharing Hearing to Be Webcast Live
If you're too sexually repressed to watch Pornhub on your lunch break like a normal person, now you can watch a streaming court session involving the RIAA right on your computer. More »
4,659
By Adam FrucciComment by JoeLikesRamen Likes You!: Eh, I'll grab a torrent of it later. 8 Responses | Other threads
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giz explains
Giz Explains: Everything You Wanted to Know About DRM
Condensed explanation: Digital rights management is a corporate pain in the ass that stops you from doing whatever you want with music and movies in the name of fighting piracy. But there's more to it. -
piracy
RIAA Jerks To Stop Suing Individuals For Online Piracy
Whether you're a pratin' granny, single mom or a full-on haxxor, you no longer have to dread waking up to an RIAA summons. They still might rat you out to your ISP, though.
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By John MahoneyComment by armendni: who are these "major" providers??? I want to see what this e-mail looks like, "Dear Paying customer, someone has... 12 Responses | Other threads
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music
The Inside Story of How the RIAA Killed Muxtape
Muxtape, the simple, awesome and insanely popular online mix tape creator went offline last month with a brief explanation: "Muxtape will be unavailable for a brief period while we sort out a problem with the RIAA." Since then, we haven't heard anything about it. Until now. Justin, the creator of Muxtape, just posted a long, detailed account of what exactly happened and what the future of the site holds. It's a pretty great inside look at just how stupid and confused the music industry is right now. More »
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By Adam FrucciComment by Z4N5H1N: I don't understand why people still buy albums. The RIAA will go away if you stop giving them your money. If... 15 Responses | Other threads
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muxtape
Muxtape Getting Eaten By RIAA?
We all know about Pandora's troubles paying their ever-increasing rent to theRIAACopyright Royalty Board, but now another one of our favorite internet music spots could be succumbing to corporate pressure as well. Muxtape, the site that allowed users to make 12-song playlists of their music and share them online has been (temporarily?) shut down. Their page is left with the simple message "Muxtape will be unavailable for a brief period while we sort out a problem with the RIAA." And once again, the RIAA does its job to ensure that no one anywhere gets excited about music. [Muxtape via OhGizmo] More »
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By Mark WilsonComment by justhesh: "STOP ENJOYING THE REASON FOR OUR EXISTENCE!" -RIAA Spokesperson more » | Other threads
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riaa
Pandora Internet Radio Can't Take Royalty Rates, Will Likely Close the Box
Pandora, the internet radio station built around your tastes, will probably be going out of business soon. After getting slapped by the CRB with exorbitantly high royalty rates to continue playing music, founder Tim Westergren says the company is facing a "pull-the-plug" situation. There's one congressman trying to help Pandora and it's million plus users, but the service is bleeding money in the meantime and its future looks grim. I'll be very sad to see it go, since being reintroduced to it recently through their excellent iPhone app. What great idea do you have for us next, CRB? [ReadWriteWeb] -
riaa
The RIAA May Be Forcing Laptop Manufactuers to Disable Stereo Mix Recording
After a frustrating few months of searching for a solution to the audio problems he encountered while ripping on-screen video with his Dell laptop, a ripten editor discovered that others were experiencing the same issue—and that the problem was not confined to Dell laptops. Apparently, the lack of a sound card Stereo Mix recording option is to blame—and numerous forum threads have suggested that the RIAA has put pressure on laptop manufacturers like Dell, Gateway and Pac Bell to remove it. More »
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By Sean FallonComment by johnthevulcan wants tattoo swag: any opportunity to say FUCK YOU RIAA is a good one, thanks giz more » | Other threads
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piracy
Average Teen Stores 842 Stolen Tracks on Their iPod
In a recent study by British Music Rights, 14- to 24-year-olds were polled as to how much stolen music they carried around on a daily basis. The finding was that almost half of said music was never purchased. 842 of the 1,770 tracks held on the average digital music player were reported as stolen—that's 48 percent. More »
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By Mark WilsonComment by adeonothas: @Pi-face: Exactly. Since this was probably a RIAA funded study, the numbers are most likely fixed. Seriously,48%? I know one... more » | Other threads
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vampires
XM and EMI Settle Portable Recording Radio Lawsuit
XM Satellite Radio and EMI Music have settled the lawsuit over the recording of digital songs by XM users. Nobody knows the terms of the deal, but it probably involves virgins and kittens' blood. [Reuters]
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By Jesus DiazComment by Dapole: Now remember you have to use EMI approved kitten's and virgin blood or this will still won't work. Both can... more » | Other threads
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riaa
RIAA Tech Chief: DRM Not Dead, Will Become More Powerful than You Can Possibly Imagine
As CNET points out, when Sony BMG became the last major label to sell DRM-free tracks, we pretty much declared DRM deader than HD DVD or Tony Stark if he got in a fight with Batman (at least for the music industry; movies are another story). But RIAA tech chief David Hughes told a panel yesterday that DRM is tech's Obi-Wan Kenobi: It's coming back and will be powerful than we can possibly imagine, but it won't be giving sage advice to budding Jedi. More »
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Comment by suburbancowboy: When we finally beat the RIAA...Ewok Dance Party. more » | Other threads
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totally free
Nine Inch Nails Releases Free Album In High Definition Audio
Tren Reznor is not only breaking the old distribution model, he's even breaking the newest, like Radiohead's pay-what-you-want: Nine Inch Nails' latest album—The Slip—is 100% free, no payment required in any case, not even when you download the whooping 1.2GB version—which includes high definition WAVE 24/96 files (better-than-CD-quality 24bit 96kHz audio.) You can also choose from high-quality MP3s, FLAC lossless and M4A lossless. Note to record labels: drop dead. [NIN] -
justice
Single Mother Gets RIAA Suit Dismissed, Sues Them Right Back
Now here's something we love to see: Tanya Andersen, a 45-year-old single mother, is taking on the RIAA for their sleazy tactics and appears to be winning. After being sued for piracy and having the case dismissed, she decided to go ahead and sue the RIAA for conspiracy. She argues that the way the RIAA snoops around looking for people to sue is in violation of the law, as is the way they try to extort settlements out of people without going to trial. BusinessWeek has a whole profile of Andersen and her battle against the RIAA, and it's well worth the read. Go check it out; it's not like you've got other stuff to do. [BusinessWeek via CrunchGear] -
cloud computing
EMI Says You Can't Backup Your Music Online
Cloud computing is supposed to be the next big tech revolution. One of the basic ideas, for the uninitiated, is that all of your apps and files (docs, pictures, music) are stored online in a digital locker, and you can access them from anywhere, no matter what computer you're using, thus heralding the end of the localized desktop, Windows, etc. MP3Tunes provides a digital locker for backing up music files—it's not a covert file-sharing thing, you can't share a locker with someone, so it's really only for personal backup/place-shifting. The record label EMI says it's illegal and is suing them to turn over all the music stored by the site's users. More »
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Comment by Hello_Newman: This shouldn't be a big deal. If the locker hosts allowed only one IP to access it at a time,... more » | Other threads
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net neutrality
Europe Says Net Banning Is a Violation of "Civil Liberties and Human Rights"
The European Parliament voted on anti-piracy bill that would boot persistent "file-sharers" off of the net, at the last minute shooting down that particular measure. More importantly, it added an amendment that said the European Union and its member countries should "avoid adopting measures conflicting with civil liberties and human rights and with the principles of proportionality, effectiveness and dissuasiveness, such as the interruption of internet access." The vote royally pissed off the EU's RIAA-equivalent, the IFPI. Even still, the vote itself may not result in any kind of safe haven for, uh, P2P "enthusiasts": More »
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Comment by krisve: The point is that this makes it harder for IFPI to press the internet providers to actively implement systems to... more » | Other threads
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survey
95% of Kids Aged 18-24 Are Pirating Music
According to a University of Hertfordshire survey of 1,158 kids aged 18-24 in the UK, 95% of them have "pirated" music before. The other 5%? According or our estimates, they're either technologically illiterate or they don't like music. [Guardian]
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By Jason ChenComment by Rodime: where'd they get the sample? from a university? from a tech college? ... while I'm at school, EVERYONE pirates music.... more » | Other threads
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riaa
Judge Rules Making Files 'Available' Doesn't Constitute Copyright Violation
A Boston judge has just followed up on the previous NY judge ruling that just making files available isn't enough to constitute copyright infringement. According to the EFF, it's the most "extensive analysis yet of the recording industry's 'making available' argument", but doesn't actually make things better for people who are being sued by the RIAA. The same judge ruled that even though the "offer to distribute" won't be enough to decide a case, it is enough to permit a lawsuit to move forward. On the other hand, another NY judge has ruled in the opposite manner, that making an "offer to distribute" could violate copyright, even if nobody downloaded whatever you put up. [EFF via Boing Boing] -
riaa
Judge Rules That "Making Available" Isn't Enough for RIAA Lawsuits
The RIAA was handed some bad news by a federal judge in New York: they can't sue people over songs that are merely "made available," which is the basis for nearly all of their lawsuits. Instead, they need to prove that songs were actually transmitted, something that is a hell of a lot harder to do. Is this the end of the RIAA's lawsuit onslaught? More » -
riaa
Warner Music Pushes for Mandatory Music Tax on Your Internet Bill
If iTunes music subscriptions don't happen, it's not because the industry lacks interest. Universal's already got a sub plan; Sony BMG is forging ahead with their own; and now Warner Music is investing serious resources and effort into pushing for a monthly music tax. They want $5 a month tacked onto everybody's internet bill, and in return, everyone would have unlimited access to basically all known music. It's not as generous as it sounds. More »
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Comment by Sqube: I've said it before, and I'll say it again. If the music companies impose a music tax, I'm stealing the fuck... more » | Other threads
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piracy
Japanese ISPs Plan To Cut Off P2P Pirates
Japanese internet service providers plan on disconnecting evil filesharing pirates in some of the most severe anti-p2p tactics worldwide. Due to pressure from music, video game and movie companies, the ISPs would warn the offender via email before cutting the cord if the bootlegger in question didn't cease and desist. Though such a punishment may not seem as bad as the multimillion-dollar fines levied by the RIAA here in the US, we think a life without internet may be worse than one without money. [AFP]
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By Eric ShelineComment by anonymoustroll: I, personally, can't wait until this system has been adopted by most ISPs. It's really going to be fun getting... more » | Other threads
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riaa
Leaked RIAA Training Video: Find Pirates, Find Crack-Dealing Terrorist Murderers Too!
This is a leaked official RIAA training video produced with the National District Attorneys Association telling U.S. prosecutors why they should bust music pirates: Because it'll lead them to "everything from handguns to large quantities of cocaine [and] marijuana," not to mention terrorists and murderers! More » -
music
Most Ridiculous (or Brilliant) Music Industry Plan Yet: Hear the Album First, Pay a Lot More
The music industry did take something away from Radiohead's experiment, though it's not exactly what most of us were hoping for. A senior Universal VP dropped this inspired business idea at Mobile World Congress:"If an artist has just delivered an album from [the] studio, we could potentially deliver it to a limited number of users for a higher price. It's something we're quite keen to develop; for example, through our own B2C channels—artists' Web sites."
This is the dumbest idea ever. More » -
riaa
RIAA Wants Your Anti-Virus Software to Screen Your Downloads for Pirated Content
Content filter version one: A massive, network-wide dragnet. Not really feeling that Big Bro deal, even though RIAA chief Cary Sherman says it "doesn't give rise...to any privacy concerns because it can operate automatically and anonymously"? It's cool, there's a better approach: A locally installed filter on your computer. More » -
greed
RIAA Wants to Cut Artist Royalties to 9%, Apple Wants Them at 4%, Artists Just Want to Eat
The RIAA always claims that its looking out for the livelihood of artists when it sues the hell out of alleged pirates, but in reality it's really fighting to keep record industry executives rich by defending an outdated and unsustainable business model. While before the PR team at least made an attempt to make it seem like artists were priority #1, they seem to have given up: the RIAA is now trying to cut down artist's royalties on digital downloads. More » -
law
Italian Parliament Legalizes P2P Music Downloads?
In what appears to be an embarrassing error, the Italian parliament may have accidentally legalized P2P music downloads. The new law allows Italians to legally share music over the internet, just as long as it is done for non-commercial gain and the music is degraded. The controversy arises from the definition of the word "degraded." More »
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By Haroon MalikComment by ANoel: Italianos say da RIAA itsa Fun Ghoul. more » | Other threads
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evil
RIAA Wants to Increase Filesharing Damages to $1.5 Million an Album, Just for Laughs
The amount that the RIAA gets in statutory damages in filesharing lawsuits is already completely bananas, but they still aren't happy. The problem? Compilation CDs. A rascally pirate could rip 10 tracks from 10 CDs, say they came from a compilation and then only be culpable for one album. That's not right! The RIAA would then be cheated out of money they could use to polish the rubies on the ends of their walking sticks! More » -
music
Smart Party Wireless DJ System Will Get Playlist Votes From Your Trousered MP3 Player
A new system devised by a pair of UCLA students could well bring democracy to music selection at parties. The two scientists have created a software-and-antennae combo that currently works on laptops, scanning people's music collections, grabbing the most popular tunes from guests' MP3 players and adding them to the night's playlist. The next step will be to see if Smart Party can be made to work on MP3 players (currently it works on laptops), polling partygoers' music devices as they arrive at the party. More info below. More » -
drm
Will Digital Watermarking Rise From DRM's Ashes?
Okay, so DRM is dead dead dead. Hurray, right? Well, Wired says it's simply being swapped out for digital watermarking, which will lay out breads crumbs for the labels to follow as songs make their way across P2P networks, and the bundle of evidence will allow them to place pressure on ISPs to engage in large-scale network filtering. More » -
clarification
Even the RIAA isn't Ballsy Enough to Claim Ripping CDs is Illegal
So a few weeks ago we reported that the RIAA had claimed that just ripping CDs was enough to get you sued. Later, jumping on the bandwagon, the Washington Post reported the same thing. Turns out, it's not exactly true. The RIAA claims that ripping a CD and then putting the files into a shared folder is illegal, which we disagree with but is a little less flabbergasting. The confusion arose with the wording, which called ripped copies "unauthorized." More »
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By Adam FrucciComment by ed207: @Jed3.... Tough Luck. Seriously. Your impassioned plea to the peons that work for those bastards is understandable but misplaced.... more » | Other threads
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hype smash
FYI: The Washington Post article starting to bubble its way across the internets about the RIAA arguing that personal rips of CDs you actually own are illegal is sorta old news from a few weeks ago. [Washington Post] -
ripped
RIAA Argues Songs Ripped to Your Computer for Personal Use Are "Unauthorized Copies"
This is so mind-blowingly ridiculous I'll leave all of the smarminess to you guys to wipe up in the comments. In the case Atlantic vs. Howell—the couple's being sued for sharing songs over KaZaA—the RIAA filed a supplemental brief. On page 15, they repeatedly call ripped MP3s "unauthorized copies," basically arguing that ripping songs from a CD to your computer for personal use is making an "unauthorized" copy. And the money quote so you don't have to pore over the whole document: More »
riaa
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