RIAA Sues 12-Year Old Girl

Cabaal

This is somewhat related to DSL, but anyway,
Just been posted on slashdot.org
RIAA Sues 12-Year Old Girl

The thing about this, is I'll bet they'll drop the case.
Surely this is not fair, because I doubt they'll do it to a 18 year old.

There's no difference after all in the RIAA's eye's stealing is stealing.
Only reason they'll drop it is PR nothing more.

fisty

give her the chair!!

Ancient1

Pathetic...dont these people have anything better to do?

12 year old ! was she a threat to national security? was she corroding the moral fabric of the nation?

only in america dude

Lenny

Has anyone over in ireland ever been charged with such a thing?6

Cabaal

Originally posted by Lenny
Has anyone over in ireland ever been charged with such a thing?6

Not heard of it happening to anyone in Ireland yet, heard of loads of people in the UK either getting warnings or there ISP's closing there accounts.

I'd imagine if it does happen in Ireland, the rat will be happy once again to screw over people.

CyberGhost

this is the last level of assholism, RIAA must be kicked of the internet! FREE INTERNET!

bizmark

well they are basicly steeling music whats the difference from going to HMV and takeing a cd ?

i wouldnt worry about it though they will never stop File shareing it just wont happen.......I for one couldnt care either way

CyberGhost

"well they are basicly steeling music whats the difference from going to HMV and takeing a cd," by taking you mean stealing?

well the difference is: 1 euro for bus, and the comfort of sitting at home and downloading

if buying the difference is: 15 euros at least

Cabaal

Originally posted by bizmark
well they are basicly steeling music whats the difference from going to HMV and takeing a cd ?

A bit of a difference

If you compare file swapping to stealing a CD, lets see I'd walk into HMV and walk out again with a CD but the origonal CD would still be on the shelf and HMV haven't lost any profits because they haven't lost any stock and when it comes down to it I buy better CD's because of file swapping.
I'm much happier with what I buy.

bizmark

hmmmm theirs still people (id say most) that dont do it like that .....They take songs etc and never have any intension to buy the album

but personal i dont care either way ....I will support my favour band by buying their album..and will more than likely keep on stealing things from the web ......but it doesnt change the fact its wrong lol

MrPinK

CD's are a dying breed, the music industy has to accept this. Everyone I know just rips them and sticks them in the backet of a closet. As soon as the ridiculous lawsuits stop, the copyright laws can be ammended to decriminalise music sharing and make sure that artists are properly compensated for it, just like they did when radio came along. Radio stations came under similar attack from copyright nuts when they first came out.

bizmark

thats a good point also technology move's on either move with it or die ...........with their droping profits maybe the Music industry better stop looking backwords and start looking forword

Töpher

i know i d/l alot of music, and due to financial reasons i can't buy every album i d/l tracks off, but, if i get music and i like they band, and they come here on tour, i will make the effort to go, the bands make more money from touring and merch sales anyways, they make less than a dollar between em per album, yet i'd imagine the RIAA, who are the ones upset at all this, make a truckload!

De Rebel

god bless amerika

Dustaz

Er, it really should be pointed out that Bizmark is entirely correct. Downloading music IS stealing. You are taking something that you have not paid for. Just because everyone does it does not change what it is.

Davey Devil

I have never bought cd's on the account that they are way over priced for the amount of money they cost to produce. Because of this I have always borrowed music of my friends. By downloading music off the internet I am simply borrowing the music off my on-line friends, in no way am i stealing because I never would have bought the cd in the first place. The record companies aren't losing any money off me because I never would have bought the album I downloaded. In my opinion it should only be illegal if a person downloads a song and then sells it on for profit.

simu

Downloading music means you can find music you like without getting ripped off buying CDs - if you like the music you've downloaded, you are more likely to invest in other albums from that artist or go to see them live - which can only be a good thing:)

As for the 12-yr old, I hope this case gets a lot of publicity - it will show people how ridiculous and out of touch many of the RRIA's policies are.

MrPinK

Originally posted by Dustaz
Er, it really should be pointed out that Bizmark is entirely correct. Downloading music IS stealing. You are taking something that you have not paid for. Just because everyone does it does not change what it is.

What if I record a film that is shown on TV3? I haven't paid for anything, and at the end of it I have a tape that would have cost me €10 in the shops, but have I stolen anything?

The RIAA are trying to push that idea that 'sharing is stealing, full stop' but it is a very grey area. I think that everyone that shares music would agree that artists and song writers should get some money from ppl sharing their work, but it's not up to filesharers to work out how. If the RIAA weren't so intent on keeping hold of their outrageously priced CD racket, then they would have worked something out by now.

Imposter

Originally posted by Dustaz
Er, it really should be pointed out that Bizmark is entirely correct. Downloading music IS stealing. You are taking something that you have not paid for. Just because everyone does it does not change what it is.

It's not stealing. It's copyright violation. Taking the CD from HMV is stealing.

Some people use d/l to avoid buying the thrash that the RIAA's members are churning out and only buy something that's worth the inflated price tags.

Aside: How can they reduce prices just this week by $5-$7(I think I saw) but ONLY in the US.

Others never buy a CD and that is wrong but it's not stealing as I said above. Add to that the argument that the RIAA is not losing money from these people that never buy CD's as they will never buy music and will always copy it from friends or off the radio or whatever.

And then there's the new protections on the CD's. If you buy the CD legitimately you cannot put it on your computer/MP3 player. That is wrong too but this time it's the RIAA that's wrong (If copyrighted CD's cost less for that reason then that OK imo).

And videoing something off the TV is the same thing.

jongore

Originally posted by MrPinK
What if I record a film that is shown on TV3? I haven't paid for anything, and at the end of it I have a tape that would have cost me €10 in the shops, but have I stolen anything?

Under copyright laws you have, leagaly you are only entitled to record public programs (News, etc.)

It's BS I know, it's just another of those laws that isn't enforced.

The music industry is looking for someone to blame for declining CD sales, online swappers are an easy target (never mind the outragous prices that they charge)

Kali

Well the main reason for falling sales is the high cost of CDs in the stores.. responding to which Universal are set to drop their prices by upto 30% .. hopefully that'll mean other record labels will fall in line.

reported here:

http://pitchforkmedia.com/news/03-09/04.shtml

as far as the 12-yr old girl goes, she herself should go sue mcdonalds, jeez talk about fat kids.

Dustaz

Well i know that i buy less albums since i got broadband.

Draw your own conclusions.

At the end of the day theres Artists losing money because of me.

scojones

they settled and are sueing her mother for 2,000USD.

Lemming

Originally posted by Kali
Well the main reason for falling sales is the high cost of CDs in the stores..

Umm .. that's not entirely true. They've been rather selective with their "truths". For example, neglecting to make public the fact that they lowered product volumes of CD's to alleviate growing stockpiles over the last coiuple of years. Hence less CD's being sold (or produced).

They're two-bit scam artists looking for a distraction.

MrPinK

Originally posted by Dustaz
At the end of the day theres Artists losing money because of me.

Take a look at MTV Cribs, you'll feel a little less guilty

I've heard there are sites that have set up annonymous tip jars, so you can send money directly to the artists that you've gotten music from. If you sent them €3 per album they'd probably be making as much as if you bought the album in the shops.

Lenny

Originally posted by Kali


as far as the 12-yr old girl goes, she herself should go sue mcdonalds, jeez talk about fat kids.

haha

Capt'n Midnight

FROM http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/32740.html

It took all of twenty-four hours for young Biggie Brianna to be hit with a lawsuit and then pay up for her alleged crimes. The youngster's mother has agreed to shell out $2,000 to get the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) off her family's back. This marks the first settlement to come as a result of the 261 lawsuits the RIAA filed this week.

Earlier in the day, Brianna complained of stomach pains and emotional suffering as a result of the RIAA's actions. After signing the soothing settlement, however, she expressed regret at having harmed the precious artists.

honru

It's not stealing. It's copyright violation. Taking the CD from HMV is stealing.

Exactly. This "downloading is just like taking a CD from HMV" analogy has been played since Napster, and its getting really, really old.

As for the RIAA/twelve year-old issue, its such bull, like she was a threat to society or something. The RIAA are just being bullies now. OK, if you want to target some major offender, thats fine (in this world anyway, in my world: FREE INTERNET). But to sue the parents of a kid who was just downloading TV themes and Mariah Carey songs is such crap. What a great way to kickstart the lawsuit parade by suing some kid's parents. The publicity behind this case is everywhere now, and people will take note.

Very good points so far in this thread.

Capt'n Midnight

Production Costs

Many Sunday papers give out Free Music CD's - and most ISP's had out data CD's - even though most never get used.

On that basis the cost of physically making the CD , distrbuting , stocking and selling CD's at a profit can't be much.

IMHO the record companies have to ask themselves what business model they want to follow for the future - do they try to continue to make an obsense margin or would they rather make a smaller margin on a higher sales volume...

By dropping the price to €5 per album - where people can make impulse buys, they should sell more..

honru

Just caught this news article. The president of Grokster is offering to pay for the $2000 fine imposed on the twelve year-old's mother. Its really RIAA vs. P2P vs. The World at the moment, anyway, you can check out the article here.

Ancient1

This is all getting beyond ridiculous - its pathetic. No one remembers the music, and the industry has become a monster.

I check out an mp3, if i really like it, then i buy the cd - i even love the smell of a brand new lyrics booklet. So if i own lets say 6 albums by one band, seen them live 3 times, and want to d/l their stuff (coz it's either rare, or on a compilation or whatever) - then the RIAA can kiss my ass.
This is common sense. Calling it theft is a bit drastic, i'm just gettin my moneys worth, coz the artist gets 2 Euros out of every 22 that i spend on a cd.

Personally i think it will be a while before this latest US made mania reaches our shores.