What to do about RIAA
In another round of “Foot in Mouth” attacks against the paying public, the blogger outrage that should really extend to just about everyone who enjoys, listens, and legally downloads or purchases their music has come out in force this weekend. Here is why.
On the 11th of December, Techdirt noted that in the case of Jeffery Howell in Arizona, that RIAA had made the stipulation that making a personal copy of a CD you legally purchased for your own entertainment was theft.
Today on the 30th, the Washington Post picked up the thread, which rapidly made it to techmeme, and then on to a number of other blogs. Just when things were starting to look like they might calm down on the personal front, the idea that making a personal copy of a CD is somehow illegal, well then we run into a “whole nother issue”.
Now, in an unusual case in which an Arizona recipient of an RIAA letter has fought back in court rather than write a check to avoid hefty legal fees, the industry is taking its argument against music sharing one step further: In legal documents in its federal case against Jeffrey Howell, a Scottsdale, Ariz., man who kept a collection of about 2,000 music recordings on his personal computer, the industry maintains that it is illegal for someone who has legally purchased a CD to transfer that music into his computer. Source: Washington Post
What deepens the story is the line from techcrunch of the idea that “Congress is too busy trying to pass laws that would strengthen copyright sanctions (such as with the PRO IP Act) and copyright offenders don’t make sizable donations to election campaigns, do they”.
What would happen if we could raise money for a lobbyist, say through the EFF collecting donations for a specific lobbyist for Intellectual Property Issues (not to put EFF on the spot, but if I was to donate money, that would be something I would donate money for) to ensure that the rights of “fair use” and others are not abridged while the congress falls over itself to support copyright owners. We would even put the “donate here” badge on the blogs.
Maybe it is time for some grass roots organizations to take the bit and become the champion, we would be willing to support this kind of cause. We won’t stop buying music, but will be more careful who we purchase music from (there are still some bands out there that if we found the album/cassette or MP3 would willingly fork over money for).
While we can sit here and question the tactics of RIAA, MPAA and IFPI, to realistically change something, you have to be within the system to do so. The only realistic way to do this would be to organize, support, and donate to a group that would be willing to represent consumers rights, and modern needs when it comes to consuming continent in congress and in the senate.
We have no clue how to do this, but if the ACLU, EFF, or anyone else could or would step up to the plate, there would be a few thousand bloggers who would undoubtedly support the effort.
[…] and putting them on your MP3 player of choice. We have covered the RIAA against everyone especially here, as well as just about everyone else from Techdirt to Techcrunch. “Not a single (legal) case […]
Hows about you stop stealing music? Or is that too much to ask?
Depends on how you define theft, I have copied songs from CD’s so I can play them on my IPod, I have downloaded music from CCMixter and Opus as well as other open source projects for use on my IPod. I have downloaded songs to see if they were worth buying from Amazon, ITunes and other 30 second clip purveyors. But based on what I do with media already bought, if the RIAA gets it’s way, I’ll pay per performance, meaning something that means a lot to me, music, will be tons more expensive than I can afford.
It is all in how you look at it, to some I am a thief, to others I am simply using the music I have already purchased, I could easily buy a CD player (like I did in the late 90’s) and tote along my music for the day, or I can tote an IPod with the library and just go as the mood suits.
Stealing is out of hand if i was a musician i would be upset working for that, and watch my profits disapear,what if someone took your half of your income,stole it?..and you were powerless to get it back?