RIAA to start suing people for file sharing...

[b_nightingale99]

I was watching CNN today and they had someone from the RIAA (Recording Industry) come on and announce that starting tomorrow they are going to collect data on people who share copyrighted files illegally. Then they are going to start suing people when they get enough data. Just thought I would let all you know, considering I seriously doubt EVERYONE here only rips from CD's.

[fruxo]

thats just bs tho, dont worry about it.. they might try to get those who is selling copied cds with programs/music/games etc, but otherwise u're fine..

[DavidEther]

Heh this is like an amateur chess game with them, one move doesn't work, they move on to pull another one out of their *behinds*. These *people* need to realize that whatever they do somebody will find a way around it and this will go on for years and years, they should just quit right now and let somebody with some sense handle things..

[Chazb]

The funny thing is you can copy all the music from digital cable which has any music you want to hear or xm radio for that matter.I do not download any new music everything I download is old and I do feel sorry for some of the artists,but they have got to find a new way to get artists money suing people who use kazaa will not work.Hmmm lets have cd sharing network I mail you mine and you mail me yours.I bought it and you bought it so lets share it on our ipod.

[nero120]

I never understood this thing anyway. If only the record industry could realise that there is not enough true value music thesedays. I mean, people don't LOVE music enough just to go out and spend a S H I T L O A D of money on music you havent even heard. I would download a track off an album ive heard about and check it out. Then, if its good enough in my ears I would shell out for the CD. But alot of music just isnt good enough, especially whole CD's. There might be 1 or 2 good tracks on there, whats the point in buying the whole CD? Its just not good enough.

Instead of complaining, why dont they sign some musicians with ability, rather than trying to use records as a means of making money out of exploitation. They're hypocrites. This has nothing to do with artists or music. I think this is all a good thing. Hopefully it will trigger changes in the music 'business' so that the emphasis is back on music and less on exploitation. Just my 2 cents.

[b_nightingale99]

I don't know, I think they really mean to make examples out of people and when companies do that they go for the throat. I bet the fines and jail time they are trying to get will be outragous. They will also try to get a variety of different people to make examples out of too. They'll get the people with TONS of music that are on Kazaa 24/7 letting people download constantly with fast connections, and then they'll get a few people with a meager selection.

I personally have completely uninstalled every part of Kazaa on my computer for various reasons, this being the main one. I only downloaded stuff I couldn't find in the stores. But still it always felt like cheating. I personally sympathise a little with them. Their profits have gone down 25% in the last 3 years, and CD prices haven't changed at all from what I can remember when they first came out. Sure $12-15 seems a lot for a CD, and I personally own very little CD's. But that is no excuse to go and steal music. When you can't get food for free do you just steal it?

I would however, agree that there are no real options for PC users to do different. All those stupid websites where you can download a very limited selection of music really suck! And the iTunes music store is only for Macs now. Considering most people in the US use PC's, that is the reason why it has gotten so big. I personally will buy music from the apple store as soon as I get a powerbook if they have a good selection of music. When the music store is available for PC's I'm guessing the first week of sales will be amazing, maybe I should go buy some apple stock?

As for the seemingly drop in good new artists, I would definitly agree! I like VERY little of any artist that has come out in the last couple of years. However, a few bands that have been around for a while have come out a lot of really good new albums. Yet, this really isn't the RIAA's problem, if I'm correct they don't even sign artists, its the labels that are making music so freaking commercial and similar. Also, it could be just a slump. Maybe there aren't all that many good new artists as there used to be? I doubt it, because there are a couple of local bands that I love and are struggling to make enough $ to make CD's.

Anyway, that is how I see it. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out in the courts. I'm sure there will be some kind of sleezy lawyer tricks and loopholes involved. (no offense to any lawyers here) I'm also sure that file "sharing" will be around for a long time to come, but that isn't an excuse at all.

just my 2 cents, I'd like to hear some more opinions too

[Hephador]

I'm interested to see how it really plays out. I don't download too much music these days. Where cd's are concerned, I have this weird compulsion where I like to have the real thing. I like to download songs sometimes to see how a band I've never listened to sounds and then if I really like them, I go buy the cd. I've found if you look around enough, you can almost always find the cd you want for a reasonable price (i.e. $10-12)...or less if you don't mind used. Most of the time these days, the songs I want are only shared by one or two people who are either on dialup, or they disappear or reject my download the instatnt I start. Or (in the case of WinMX) the queues are hellishly long and not worth the time or effort.
As for how or if the RIAA prosecutes people, I'm curious how they are going to pick and choose. I agree that they will choose big fish and little fish just to make an example to everyone. But can they relaly make the charges and the fines stick? And are they going to be able to force the ISPs to comply and give up their customers? With so many people downloading music being minors, are they going to fine the parents? I'll probably hold off downloading for a few days to see how this shakes out. But in the end, someone will find a way around it as always. And if not, it won't affect me too much. I figure people will host in IRC forever lol.

[mongoos150]

Well I can tell you this isn't going to stop me, and it's not going to stop 90% of people out there who are acustomed to not paying for their music. You guys are exactly right; on a cd there is only one or two tracks that are worth listening to. Also on the news they said they were going to be sueing people offering the music for download. I don't offer any of the music I download to other people, I only use it for myself and don't distribute it. I wonder if that actually makes any differences in the lawsuits.

[destined_wind]

Another thing, most people using Kazaa or Limewire aren't hardcore criminals or software piratiers (a few yes, but not even a significant proportion...). Most of these individuals are high school and college students, come on RIAA, THESE are your future customers! Think about it! Do you really want to sue someone who will eventually be your consumer base, I would say: NO! Plus, its not as if record sales are going downhill, hell, the number of record sales are actually increasing, its just not at the rate that the greedy @$$ b@st@rds at the RIAA would like to see occur, please artists are getting RIPPED OFF by record companies (which are getting most of the revenue and in turn most of the profit)... I say hell, just ditched them distribute your music online via iTunes, Pressplay, or whatever, put these mofoing record executives out of their misery for good...

[deftdrummer1]

im so fed up with all this download lawsuit crap. I never stopped for one day downloading music off the internet. Music was made to be heard, and files were made to be shared. Doesn't it make sense? Plus, if they pick randomly people to sue out of the 3 million something people or more that download music every day, then im not worried. How else are we supposed to fill up the ipod?