RIAA intensifies campus crusade against piracy (Hollywood wants more pounds of flesh)

The Los Angeles Times ^ | 02/28/2007 | Dawn C. Chmielewski, Jim Puzzanghera and Alana Semuels, Times Staff Writers

[abt87]

The music industry is intensifying its fight against unauthorized music downloading by college-age students, as new information shows a dramatic increase in the number of songs exchanged through file-sharing networks.

The Recording Industry Assn. of America trade group today announced plans to file five times as many lawsuits against individuals this year as it did when it initially began suing people in September 2003. It sent 400 letters to universities offering deals for students the RIAA has determined are downloading unauthorized copies of songs. The deal allows students to settle before a lawsuit is filed and avoid a court record.

"We'd rather not be doing these lawsuits, but the fact remains that the college environment is one that has rampant piracy," said RIAA chairman Mitch Bainwol. "We have to act."

Music fans age 18 to 25 are increasingly getting their music for free, either by borrowing a friend's music CD and importing the tracks onto their computers or downloading bootlegged songs off peer-to-peer networks, in which data is exchanged from one computer user to another, according to NPD.

[abt87]

MAFIAA needs mo' money. Maybe they would make more if they didn't put out such crappy music and stopped putting DRM on online music.

[Gay State Conservative]

In a public library near me (a library which has an *amazing* collection of music on CD) there are signs all over the place citing the Federal law which forbids copying of CD's.

I wonder how many people heed these warnings.

[xcamel]

This works for me:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1793012/posts

[Bigh4u2]

"or downloading bootlegged songs off peer-to-peer networks"

Bootlegged?

What makes them think these songs are bootlegged.

More often then not, some kids actually BUY the CD's and put them on their computer and share them with their friends.

Bootlegged to me implies using 'illegal' copies of CD's and not originals.

Most kids buy the originals because when their favorite singer comes out with new tunes they've just 'got to have it now!'

[holden]

I remember recording a lot of music from AM and FM radio stations onto cassette tapes, which were the latest thing when I was in college. If I really liked something, I eventually bought commercially pre-recorded cassette. I still have plenty of the commercial ones but still have only one or two of my self-recorded, "personal mixes."

Technology has since been updated somewhat, despite the music being generally less professional nowadays, but the MAFIAA has corruptly used their lobbyists and money to "persuade" Congress critters to enact the DMCA and change the copyright laws (in the Clinton years, coincidentally).

They opportunistically think their business relationship with their customers has changed with that updated technology (despite not being invented there) and have gotten all lawyered up to enforce their aggressive business practices and ability to label customers as criminals.

A pox on their houses.

HF

[Random Access]

So 'da rap man say

Off da pigs,
Rape you ho,
F da Man,
Smoke da dope,
snort da line,
but always honor all copyright laws and regualtions mo fo.