More RIAA subpoenas - foolish comment

[WhiteKnight]

link

I'm not posting this because it's news or because I think that people can't see it on Slashdot (last night), but because I find the following comment rather amusing.

"We are sending a clear message that downloading or 'sharing' music from a peer-to-peer network without authorization is illegal, it can have consequences and it undermines the creative future of music itself," RIAA president Cary Sherman said.

Now, please understand that I am not advocating illegal file-sharing, but to say "...undermines the creative future of music itself"? Give me an f'in break. Record companies aren't exactly creativity meccas.

 

[allisolm]

532 more suits. Seems like many were college students this round. Anyone here get sued by them yet?

 

[StageLeft]

This is why I only download. Being a server is a bad idea :evil:

 

[Mookow]

Originally posted by: allisolm
532 more suits. Seems like many were college students this round. Anyone here get sued by them yet?

I havent been, but I do see enough "cease and desist" emails from them to my university regarding shared music on our network. Of course, since the music isnt shared from a university computer, we get to tell them:

"The University is acting as an Internet Service Provider (ISP) for our students and is not itself hosting the alleged infringing content. The DMCA, as interpreted by the courts, applies only to hosted content. You will need to persue other remedies afforded you under the law"

which roughly translates to "go pound salt".

 

[allisolm]

Originally posted by: Mookow

Originally posted by: allisolm
532 more suits. Seems like many were college students this round. Anyone here get sued by them yet?

I havent been, but I do see enough "cease and desist" emails from them to my university regarding shared music on our network. Of course, since the music isnt shared from a university computer, we get to tell them:

"The University is acting as an Internet Service Provider (ISP) for our students and is not itself hosting the alleged infringing content. The DMCA, as interpreted by the courts, applies only to hosted content. You will need to persue other remedies afforded you under the law"

which roughly translates to "go pound salt".

The article says that many of these suits went to individuals using computer networks at 21 universities. "The RIAA filed the "John Doe" complaints against 89 individuals using networks at universities in Arizona, California, New York, Indiana, Maryland, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Washington."

Would they be able to come after the identities of students at your university, too since they are asking for identities from ISPs and you are claiming to be the ISP? I don't know how this would work with schools so I am asking.

 

[Mookow]

Originally posted by: allisolm

Originally posted by: Mookow

Originally posted by: allisolm
532 more suits. Seems like many were college students this round. Anyone here get sued by them yet?

I havent been, but I do see enough "cease and desist" emails from them to my university regarding shared music on our network. Of course, since the music isnt shared from a university computer, we get to tell them:

"The University is acting as an Internet Service Provider (ISP) for our students and is not itself hosting the alleged infringing content. The DMCA, as interpreted by the courts, applies only to hosted content. You will need to persue other remedies afforded you under the law"

which roughly translates to "go pound salt".

The article says that many of these suits went to individuals using computer networks at 21 universities. "The RIAA filed the "John Doe" complaints against 89 individuals using networks at universities in Arizona, California, New York, Indiana, Maryland, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Wisconsin and Washington."

Would they be able to come after the identities of students at your university, too since they are asking for identities from ISPs and you are claiming to be the ISP? I don't know how this would work with schools so I am asking.

They could come after us for that information, I think, if they actually filed a real suit. However, since we dont log internet activity from the student dorms, realistically, they cant get jack from us. We do log bandwidth usage from the dorms, but we dont log which IPs or ports are being used. So again, the RIAA can go pound some salt.

 

[TheToOTaLL]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
This is why I only download. Being a server is a bad idea :evil:

I totally agree, but doesn't that undermind the basis of file sharing itself??

 

[allisolm]

since we dont log internet activity from the student dorms, realistically, they cant get jack from us. We do log bandwidth usage from the dorms, but we dont log which IPs or ports are being used.

Thanks for the information. If other universities manage things the same way, the RIAA should have an uphill battle with getting identites that way.

 

[amdskip]

I believe we do not log internet activity also at this school. RIAA can't get jack here either.

 

[StageLeft]

Originally posted by: TheToOTaLL

Originally posted by: Skoorb
This is why I only download. Being a server is a bad idea :evil:

I totally agree, but doesn't that undermind the basis of file sharing itself??

Well, others still share. I mean the fact is I appreciate them sharing their content, but I've not done it in years. I saw these lawsuits coming from a mile away, and I just don't want to be in their sights when they first nail the sharers. I only open kazaa when I want something, and then I close it when I'm finished.

 

[Ausm]

I think the RIAA is beating a dead horse on this one...


Sysadmin

 

[Mookow]

Originally posted by: Sysadmin
I think the RIAA is beating a dead horse on this one...


Sysadmin

Yup. Prior to the lawsuits we did log the dorm internet activity. Now we dont...

 

[WhiteKnight]

I've graduated now, but my college didn't log dorm activity by IP either.

 

[rh71]

Originally posted by: TheToOTaLL

Originally posted by: Skoorb
This is why I only download. Being a server is a bad idea :evil:

I totally agree, but doesn't that undermind the basis of file sharing itself??

... which is RIAA's position on this ... get rid of the distributors then there won't be illegal downloaders to be worried about. Of course it's not going to completely cease. Like most actions, these are meant to deter.