RIAA Sued under rackiteering laws

[Sam The Egg]

I posted this in the True Crime folder, too, but it's just as relevant to the music folder:

RIAA Sued Under Racketeering Laws
Thu Feb 19, 7:00 PM ET Add Technology - PC World to My Yahoo!


Stacy Cowley, IDG News Service

Online chat rooms and bulletin boards populated by file-swapping fans are filled with postings comparing the Recording Industry Association of America (news - web sites) to a Mafia-like syndicate. Now, one target of the group's lawsuits against alleged music pirates is asking the judicial system to back that assessment.


A New Jersey woman has filed a lawsuit against the RIAA under anti-racketeering statues, charging the group with using scare tactics to extort money from the individuals it sues.



Scare Tactics Claimed

Michele Scimeca is one of more than 1000 alleged online file-swappers sued by the RIAA since the middle of last year. The industry group filed another batch of 531 lawsuits on Wednesday.


The RIAA has settled a number of those lawsuits--and therein lies the problem, according to the complaint Scimeca filed in the U.S. District Court for New Jersey.


"Instead of merely providing service of the complaint upon the various defendants, including Ms. Scimeca, the Plaintiffs have opted to include a letter discussing and prompting settlement of the copyright infringement action," the complaint states. "This scare tactic has caused a vast amount of settlements from individuals who feared fighting such a large institution and feel victim to these actions and felt forced to provide funds to settle these actions instead of fighting the institution."


The complaint argues that the RIAA's lawsuit campaign's main intent is to extract financial settlements from those sued. It charges the group with violating Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations laws.


Scimeca's lawyer, Bart Lombardo, says his client will also challenge the legality of suing individuals for online file-sharing through peer-to-peer networks like Kazaa.


"This counterclaim that we're filing is about the tactics used to enforce," he says. "Of course, we'll also be arguing the legality of the downloading, but that's a separate matter."



Other Antipiracy Action

The case is similar to that of a California man, who charges the RIAA is misleading people into admitting their guilt through its Clean Slate program that alleges to offer amnesty to repentant file-swappers.


An RIAA representative did not return a call seeking comment. At an unrelated press conference Thursday, RIAA Director of Antipiracy Brad Buckles said he had not yet seen a copy of the lawsuit and declined comment. He defended the organization's campaign of lawsuits against individual file-swappers.


"We think the lawsuits are being very successful," he said. "I think we've seen some great strides out of that. People are beginning to realize that what at first blush might seem like innocent activity, moving files around on the Internet, is in fact theft of property from artists and companies."

[Arioch]

LMAO man is this issue ever gonna get resolved. When are these big corporate record companies gonna realize that you cant fight file sharing by sueing individuals. I know everyone I talk to still downloads WHATEVER they want for FREE.

What the record companies SHOULD have been doing was making music ready to buy online. They should have been workin on this 5 years ago. But instead they chose to ignore the internet all tegether, and keep their heads up their asses.

Now their paying the price. Record sales are going down the toilet forcing the biggest Record Company Conglomorate Universal to cut ALL the prices of ALL of thier cds by close to $5. Thus in term forcing all other smaller record companies to lower theirs as well.

Its pretty sad, the RIAA could have been all over this. Profiting like crazy with an idea like Netflicks.com, a paid for service but now they are just sueing individuals and THATS gonna come back to bite them on the ass as well. I cant wait till we do away with these companies and ALL artist release their material online or through their own publishing. Giving the money AND the power back to the people who SHOULD be making it in the first place.

[Sam The Egg]

Its pretty sad, the RIAA could have been all over this. Profiting like crazy with an idea like Netflicks.com

Exactly. The music industry should take a que from DVD's. There are 2-disc Special Editions out there that are cheaper than one shitty CD.

[Arioch]

Exactly. The music industry should take a que from DVD's. There are 2-disc Special Editions out there that are cheaper than one shitty CD.

Its no secret that cd's are overpriced but the fact that you cant get decent dvd's for $10 when your still paying 20 for a cd is fucking rediculous. As always the record companies need to get off their ass and find a better way to do business or face the fact that they will soon be extinct.

[Sam The Egg]

$10 nothing, I've found a great movie or two in the $5.99 bin at Wal Mart, and not shitty barebones editions, either.

[kpropain]

The RIAA can suck my nine inch cock.

[Arioch]

$10 nothing, I've found a great movie or two in the $5.99 bin at Wal Mart, and not shitty barebones editions, either

wow nice, i gotta check out some walmart.

The RIAA can suck my nine inch cock

Agreed.

[Sam The Egg]

I got the 60's Batman movie (Burt Ward and Adam West commentary~!) and Tigerland for 5.99 each. Whereas the last CD I've bought was Strong Bad Sings and Other Type Hits, and I hadn't bought a CD in over a year before that.

[Evisceration]

I have Kazaa but I don't download anything. I used to, but then I got a job.

I 'spose I just use it for my pornagraphic needs.

meh, but the RIAA still sucks.

fuck it, I could actually careless about any of it.

*Hugs CD case*