Give me a break!!!!!

Discussion in 'General' started by Superjoint, Sep 10, 2003.

  1. Why should this girl be punished for what millions of people do also? It's so pointless and only aimed to get people more scared, it's in fact almost a fascist way of treating people what the RIAA is doing at the moment.

    Girl, 12, Settles Piracy Suit for $2,000
    Wed Sep 10, 7:33 AM ET Add Technology - AP to My Yahoo!


    By TED BRIDIS, AP Technology Writer

    WASHINGTON - A 12-year-old girl in New York who was among the first to be sued by the record industry for sharing music over the Internet is off the hook after her mother agreed Tuesday to pay $2,000 to settle the lawsuit, apologizing and admitting that her daughter's actions violated U.S. copyright laws.

    In a new lawsuit Tuesday, a California attorney sued the recording industry, claiming its offer of amnesty for file-swappers in that state was misleading.


    The hurried settlement involving Brianna LaHara, an honors student, was the first announced one day after the Recording Industry Association of America (news - web sites) filed 261 such lawsuits across the country. Lawyers for the RIAA said Brianna's mother, Sylvia Torres, contacted them early Tuesday to negotiate.


    "We understand now that file-sharing the music was illegal," Torres said in a statement distributed by the recording industry. "You can be sure Brianna won't be doing it anymore."


    Brianna added: "I am sorry for what I have done. I love music and don't want to hurt the artists I love."


    The case against Brianna was a potential minefield for the music industry from a public relations standpoint. The family lives in a city housing project on New York's Upper West Side, and they said they mistakenly believed they were entitled to download music over the Internet because they had paid $29.99 for software that gives them access to online file-sharing services.


    The RIAA said this week it already had negotiated $3,000 settlements with fewer than 10 Internet users who learned they might be sued after the RIAA sent copyright subpoenas to their Internet providers. But lawyers negotiated those settlements before the latest round of lawsuits, and the RIAA had said any further settlements would cost defendants more than $3,000.


    Even in the hours before the settlement was announced, Brianna was emerging as an example of what critics said was overzealous enforcement by the powerful music industry.


    The top lawyer for Verizon Communications Inc., William Barr, charged earlier Tuesday during a Senate hearing that music lawyers had resorted to a "campaign against 12-year-old girls" rather than trying to help consumers turn to legal sources for songs online. Verizon's Internet subsidiary is engaged in a protracted legal fight against the RIAA over copyright subpoenas sent Verizon customers.


    Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., also alluded to Brianna's case.


    "Are you headed to junior high schools to round up the usual suspects?" Durbin asked RIAA President Cary Sherman during a Senate Judiciary hearing.


    Durbin said he appreciated the piracy threat to the recording industry, but added, "I think you have a tough public relations campaign to go after the offenders without appearing heavy-handed in the process."


    Sherman responded that most people don't shoplift because they fear they'll be arrested.


    "We're trying to let people know they may get caught, therefore they should not engage in this behavior," Sherman said. "Yes, there are going to be some kids caught in this, but you'd be surprised at how many adults are engaged in this activity."


    It was unclear how Brianna's name - rather than her mother's - came to be listed as a defendant in this case. The recording industry said it named as the defendant in each lawsuit the person who paid for the household Internet account, but children typically aren't listed as account holders.


    The RIAA said it did not investigate each individual's background before filing its lawsuits.


    In the suit against the RIAA, attorney Ira P. Rothken of San Rafael, Calif., accuses the music trade group of "unfair, misleading and fraudulent business practices" for promoting an amnesty program aimed at music file-shares. The RIAA's "Clean Slate" program would allow file-sharers who step forward and pledge not to download files illegally to avoid being sued. Rothken did not immediately return a call for comment late Tuesday.
     
  2. That sooooooooooooooooo messed up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I mean wtf.....................................
     
  3. this pisses me off so much because i have a friend who's a scout for a big record company, and he was telling me that sales have went through the roof on cd's, and the internet is not having any effect on it..........i praise radiohead for saying that anyone can feel free to download thir music.........................i give more to the artist by going to see a gig, and buying merchandise, as if you buy the cd, the artist is lucky to get $2 from each sale..........but at the giug, say i buy a t-shirt and some other stuff, it comes to like $100 for instance, the artist would prob get at least $25, not to mention the money from ticket sales...............but i would never have gone to the gig if i hadn't downloaded the song.............hence downloading and going to the gigs and buying mercandise = more money for the artist, but it does mean less money for the record company............but like i said before, the record companies are winning as well, it's a no lose situation at present, why go and fuck it up......???................Peace out...........Sid
     
  4. yeah the best part is that they can fine you as much as $1000 a song...........Peace out.......Sid
     
  5. i agree whats the difference geting a song from the radio?
    im done buyin cd's i refuse to pay almost 20 bucks for one or two good songs. period. i dont have many (compared to some people) around 50 store bought cd's that includes my kids cd's, and 3 or 4 downloaded ones. chances were if i downloaded and liked a couple of songs id buy the cd.
    i know m not the only one. now i hope it does hurt the record industry.using a 12 yr old girl as example is crap. they should be ashamed.
     
  6. Those men are evil. Taking a 12 year old girl to court, come on!
     
  7. There was a huge discussion about this in class. Aparently it's so that the record labels can set an example. They're basically saying that no matter who you are, they're gonna go after you. No offense to Americans, but what kind of liberty is that?
     
  8. Question:

    Is the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) only waging war against American children or are international file swappers at risk too?





    Anyone know?
     
  9. that suxz man a 12 year old that just goes to show how f'd up our system is waisting tax billz on shnit like this
     
  10. i would be willing to go to jail if there would be more justice in this country, i would stay locked up for the rights that people should have.. and were ment to as soon as they became a part of the us, i dont know about other countries.. but this is bullshit... we have a constitution.. and many parts of it are beink broken by the lawmakers... this has to stop.. im going insain....
     
  11. damn!..fuckin rediculous
     
  12. well slap my ass, call me a theif and bang me up for clicking copy and paste. are the real theives not those who make computers, via their lovely digitalyness, so easy to copy~ *ahem*, i mean steal music and other stuff. shouldnt we go after Mr Gates?


    as a musician of sorts.... i am completely happy with people copying my music. why? becuase i am a musician first, profiteer last. I say, we shoul boycot any "musician" or "artist" who has been publicly speaking out against mp3s. They are really stupid individuals. If they are not satisfied with the money they are getting.. then take it up with their record companies... after all... THEY are the real criminals here right?
    you wanna help protect the artist?... then stop buying from the exploiters! most musicians dont even get 1% of the cover price of the album.

    this is just another example of how capitalists are screwing us over.

    like some wise blade said a while back (possably quoting someone more famous): CAPITALISM = AUTHORITARIANISM.

    make a stand... dont let them do this... listen to your MP3s loud and proud.

    this is a revolution people.

    so fucking revolt already!
     
  13. HELL YEAH, i aint buying any more cd's oand i'll tell everyone else to do likewise, if a whole lotta people do the same for a month the we'll bring all these record companies to their knees, and they'll have to listen to us...........Peace out........Sid
     
  14. im serious im not buyin any! i would love to see thier sales drop to a "record" low...over this stupid BS!
    btw, anyone see the commercials...."when you download a song it doesnt just hurt the artists, but everyone.... production people makeup people lighting people...blah,blah...all the way down to the janitors.....

    they made a huge mistake using a child as an example.....
     

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