More RIAA insanity

[CallMeJoe]

If true, this story points out the stupidity of the wide net the RIAA throws in trying to catch "pirates". From vnunet:

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has issued another 750 writs against people it believes are pirates, including a carer in New York who claims never to have owned a computer.
Home health aide Marie Lindor has asked the Eastern District Court of New York to dismiss the case against her before it even comes to court because she claims to be clueless about computers.
"Ms Lindor has not only never 'downloaded, distributed or made available for distribution' any files, but has never purchased, used or even turned on a computer in her life," her lawyers wrote in a letter to Judge David Trager.

How do you illegally download tunes without a computer? Could the RIAA look any more ridiculous?

 

[ntdz]

The RIAA can kiss my ass

 

[LumbergTech]

i wouldnt put it past them to do this, but lets be honest i have no idea if this person really did or didnt have a computer

 

[Rainsford]

Not really surprising, the current actions of the RIAA have no negative consequences for them, whether or not their targets are guilty or innocent. The victims (or not) have no way to retaliate, and the legal system encourages this kind of behavior. This is why monopolies are bad things...

 

[Kadarin]

Originally posted by: Rainsford
Not really surprising, the current actions of the RIAA have no negative consequences for them, whether or not their targets are guilty or innocent. The victims (or not) have no way to retaliate, and the legal system encourages this kind of behavior. This is why monopolies are bad things...

Agreed. There needs to be significant negative consequences for the RIAA to make such mistakes, so that they can introduce accountability in their legal actions. Of course, I'd like to see the entire RIAA membership put before a firing squad, but that's beside the point.

 

[xeemzor]

Won't stories like this undermine their effort by causing judges to throw out their cases?

 

[smack Down]

It really isn't the RIAA fault they sued the wrong person. The only way it could have happened is if the ISP or credit card screwed up.

 

[Rainsford]

Originally posted by: smack Down
It really isn't the RIAA fault they sued the wrong person. The only way it could have happened is if the ISP or credit card screwed up.

Are you being sarcastic? My meter is broken, and I'd like to give you the benefit of the doubt about being that stupid.

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: Rainsford

Originally posted by: smack Down
It really isn't the RIAA fault they sued the wrong person. The only way it could have happened is if the ISP or credit card screwed up.

Are you being sarcastic? My meter is broken, and I'd like to give you the benefit of the doubt about being that stupid.

No not at all. Explain to me why they would make up a suit if everyone and there grandmother is downloading music.

The RIAA downloads files and then logs the IP address they downloaded the file from. They then sue john doe and get the info from the ISP that the IP address is registered to it really isn't there fault if the ISP has an IP address linked to someone with out an account and with out a ccomputer. I'm willing to bet the lady had her credit card stolen. The RIAA has no contact with the person they are sueing until the lawsuit is filed so the RIAA couldn't know the sued the wrong person until to late.

 

[fornax]

Originally posted by: ntdz
The RIAA can kiss my ass

Finally I agree with ntdz

 

[DVK916]

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: Rainsford

Originally posted by: smack Down
It really isn't the RIAA fault they sued the wrong person. The only way it could have happened is if the ISP or credit card screwed up.

Are you being sarcastic? My meter is broken, and I'd like to give you the benefit of the doubt about being that stupid.

No not at all. Explain to me why they would make up a suit if everyone and there grandmother is downloading music.

The RIAA downloads files and then logs the IP address they downloaded the file from. They then sue john doe and get the info from the ISP that the IP address is registered to it really isn't there fault if the ISP has an IP address linked to someone with out an account and with out a ccomputer. I'm willing to bet the lady had her credit card stolen. The RIAA has no contact with the person they are sueing until the lawsuit is filed so the RIAA couldn't know the sued the wrong person until to late.

The RIAA also sues people who download but don't upload. Infact most people they sue are not people who share files but people who download files from RIAA computers.

 

[smack Down]

Originally posted by: DVK916

Originally posted by: smack Down

Originally posted by: Rainsford

Originally posted by: smack Down
It really isn't the RIAA fault they sued the wrong person. The only way it could have happened is if the ISP or credit card screwed up.

Are you being sarcastic? My meter is broken, and I'd like to give you the benefit of the doubt about being that stupid.

No not at all. Explain to me why they would make up a suit if everyone and there grandmother is downloading music.

The RIAA downloads files and then logs the IP address they downloaded the file from. They then sue john doe and get the info from the ISP that the IP address is registered to it really isn't there fault if the ISP has an IP address linked to someone with out an account and with out a ccomputer. I'm willing to bet the lady had her credit card stolen. The RIAA has no contact with the person they are sueing until the lawsuit is filed so the RIAA couldn't know the sued the wrong person until to late.

The RIAA also sues people who download but don't upload. Infact most people they sue are not people who share files but people who download files from RIAA computers.

Do you have any evidence to support that they are sueing downloaders.

 

[Thump553]

The law under which the RIAA files these suits allows them to recover actual attorney fees and (what essentially amounts to) punitive damages on every suit in which they recover. In order to level the playing field this federal statute should be amended to permit actual attorney fees and punitive damages against the plaintiff for suits it loses.

What's the chance of Congress doing this? Nill-Hollywood's campaign contributions are a lot more important to our politicians than actually doing what's right and fair for their constituents.

In the meantime-enjoy non-RIAA music. Here's an internet radio station that plays exclusively non-RIAA and is pretty good:

Whole Wheat Radio from Talkeetna, Alaska