In the good old days of vinyl LP's and chrome cassettes, the RIAA was supposed to promote the recorded music industry. Somehow, like the Nomad probe on "Star Trek", its purpose has changed into a legal bully whose purpose is to slam their jackbooted heels onto the necks of people who just wish to make copies of music THEY'VE ALREADY PAID FOR!
I understand file sharing is wrong, and I support efforts to slow it down. But, how can you charge $25,000 for sharing a song you can buy for one friggin' dollar?
Now the RIAA has embarassed itself by suing XM. Yes, the company that already pays far larger royalties than broadcast radio, is being sued for "massive wholesale infringement" for songs they've already paid to use. See the story HERE: http://www.theiplawblog.com/archives/-copyright-law-the-riaa-goes-after-xm-satellite-radio-for-copyright-infringement.html
When will a song become "yours"? The RIAA wants to say never. Funny, they never said a word when kids taped their favorite songs off the radio onto cassettes. Dubbing tape decks came and went without a word. Now, the DMCA has energized these thugs like Underdog's secret energy pill. I have little expectations from Congress (especially as so many of them are lawyers) but the RIAA has to be stopped from its Bush administration-like tactics of threats, intimidation, legal terrorism, and the total disregard of the harm they cause. So what's next, they sue carmakers who equip new cars with hard drives?
There is a world of difference between sharing hundreds of songs through Limewire and someone who wants to copy a CD he already owns or rip into a media center or Ipod.
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