Posted on 07/04/2006 7:00:49 AM PDT by Fawn
Louise: "No these are not my songs." They are however downloaded right onto her computer.
Louise:"I was embarrassed when they gave me a print out of these songs."
She got this printout because of lawyers. She also got this letter telling her she was being sued for copyright infringement.
Parents, there are other popular file sharing programs you need to know about:
Morpheus: morpheus.com
Kazaa: www.kazaa.com
Bearshare: www.bearshare.com
Limewire: www.limewire.com
Louise: "I was in shock..I was stunned."
The letter is part of a music industry crackdown.Singers, songwriters and music companies tired of people downloading and burning copies of music without paying.
The letter to Louise says: "Copyright theft is not a victimless crime. Not just recording artists and songwriters but session players, sound engineers, cd plant workers, wharehouse personnel, record store clerks...that depend on sale of recordings to earn a living."
Louise: "I didn't intentionally try to take money from these people...I didn't know what was going on!"
Louise says it was her 16 year old doing the downloading. But that doesn't matter--these lawyers are offering to settle for a price.
Louise: "3700....I dont have 3700."
But Louise has to pay even though she had no idea, this music has been hanging around on her harddrive. Louise says her son didn't know that downloading the songs was illegal either but because she didn't take the music industry's first settlement offer the price has now gone up: 4500 or they will take her to court.
Interestingly enough, during our investigating today, we found the country of Austrailia has banned the use of Kazaa. And guess where Kazaa's parent company is located?
You guessed it! Sydney, Australia.
Like someone pointed out...you can record off the radio. It's not like my CD's are free....I buy them...plus I pay for internet usage and electric.....not to mention my time...it's worth money to.
The other thing you can do which must frost these idiots is download classical music. Copyrights expire after about fifty years, and guys like Richard Wagner and Wolfgang Mozart don't really care.
Good point. I've wondered about that, too.
Also, I am sure they are REAL concerned about the "session players, sound engineers, cd plant workers, wharehouse personnel, record store clerks". I am sure they are VERY concerned that these people get a GREAT pay check. Yeah, those jet-set high-roller Hollywood-type warehouse workers. Just a guilt trip they use on the suckers they catch.
OK, but don't others have to upload them somewhere?
I havent heard anything worth copying in the last 5 years.
I like country music and this new crap isnt country.
I will stick to my George Jones and Patsy Cline CD's
This is the same industry that got legislation passed that includes money to them for every recordable CD sold, because they will supposedly be used to record copyrighted works. But if you download the works, they sue you. Bastages shouldn't be able to have it both ways.
You know it seems to me that there must be price collusion in the music industry. It is rediculous that I can buy movies cheaper than a music album.
The only music I've bought in years, was second hand CD's.
Jeez, about half the songs I have are probably on CD or tape around here somewhere, or at least used to. I see no sense in re-buying every album I ever bought because I want to hear a song or 10 that I have owned in the past.
Regardless, my share folder has squat in it. MP3s get moved as soon as they are downloaded.
I'd be willing to bet they aren't nailing adults like me who download old one-hit-wonders, classic rock and bluegrass. The music industry is in the sorriest state it has ever been in and it is NOT file-sharing's fault. It is the industry's fault. As long as it's all "ganta's and ho's", American Idol-type manufactured "talent" singing dopey crap, and the slut-singer-du-jour I will keep on downloading.
Downloading or reproducing recorded music without paying is petty thievery. It's not a right you possess any more than going into a store and lifting something off the shelf. When one engages in that activity, many persons in the vertical market, are deprived of the profit they deserve for their effort in producing the recording. So, as you well know, the RIAA is not trying to prevent peopple from listening to music at home, just trying to prevent them from "stealing" it.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is the trade group that represents the U.S. recording industry. Its mission is to foster a business and legal climate that supports and promotes members creative and financial vitality. Its members are the record companies that comprise the most vibrant national music industry in the world. RIAA members create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 90% of all legitimate sound recordings produced and sold in the United States.
They are not 'thugs' as you describe them.
http://www.riaa.com/about/leadership/default.asp
Get real. The RIAA is going after people who obtain or copy music illegally. They aren't going after people "just listening to music at home."
Nobody has an automatic right to own copies of copyrighted music for which they haven't paid.
Artists have a right to control the licensing of their copyrighted material.
Copyrighted music is property. Conservatives have huge measures of respect for others' property. Respect it or be prepared to suffer the consequences.
If I want to listen to something, I download it online. Usenet, BitTorrent, there are plenty of options. If I can't find it online I will go down to the local I.T. mall and for a few dollars buy a DVD filled with the latest albums... all without a penny going to the RIAA's lawyers.
P.S. RIAA you can send your threat letter to me here in Thailand and I will be more than happy to laugh at your stupidity... while my newest MP3 is playing in the background.
What about when the intent of copyright law is destroyed by ensuring those copyrights never expire? What about the Sonny Bono Copyright Term Extension Act which basically guarantees nothing will ever be placed in the public domain again?
Now without that distribution instrument, we become more hesitant about listening to new music since CD's cost 15-19 dollars. That reduces the exposure of new bands we would listen to.
Yes, MP3 technology is illegal, but also remember so was the radio broadcast of music. The music industry shoots itself in the foot constantly.
It isn't on my hard drive anymore, I don't know where it went. It may have found it's way onto a compilation of DVD data disks.
There's a new model of music sharing that these guys cannot monitor (unless they insert spyware on everybody's PC, which I wouldn't put past them). With very large hard drives and WiFi, teens just get together and merge their music collections on each others laptops whenever they get together. Or copy music to 1 GB keychain flash drives. Nothing on the internet, no way to monitor,
They are "thugs" when they, without cause, without warrant or due process invade my home (scan my computer) to see if I have violated the law.
Wow. This is one of the most poorly-written aritcles I've ever read.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.