Welcome to Boycott-Riaa! We are the premier community on the web made up of artists and music-lovers who wish to save the world's music from the evil clutches of the "recording industry" and those "content cartels" who continue to have a stranglehold on that which we love, even here and now in the modern digital age.

Contrary to what you may have heard, most of us DO NOT encourage 'file-sharing' of those songs that do not already 'wish' to be shared.

Anything that is DRM infected, (and ESPECIALLY including the entire RIAA catalogue) has a huge "Let me die in obscurity!" sign painted on the side with bright red letters.

Hey! Let's honor that request from our enemy and instead only promote independent music that allows non-commercial fair-use!

Do as they ask... DON'T SHARE RIAA MUSIC!

(And, be ashamed of yourself even if all you are doing is downloading it! Such actions equate to 'promotion' of RIAA tunes and it ultimately only HELPS the RIAA make more sales!)

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The need for disclaimers suck, but are too often a nesessary evil in today's world.

Here's one for CodeWarrior

MPAA head rode out rocky first year --Hollywood Reporter

HMV declares download price war with 39p tracks --The Scotsman

(Yawn, smells more like an ad than news, but oh well.)

Darknets to eclipse bandwidth management --The Register

Around 80 per cent of all traffic in the Internet is already P2P. This traffic will increase 1,000-fold in the next five years and most of it will be encrypted P2P, according to a study by Staselog and researchers at Finnish Universities.

This is just insane:

the Motion Picture Association has gotten an open search warrant for the entire city of New Delhi, India. --Aunty Spam

US closer to piracy case extradition --Australian IT

US authorities alleged that an internet gang known as "Drink or Die" was responsible for pirating software valued at $50 million and Mr Griffiths was a member and later leader of the group.

News Corp takeover of MySpace could be hit by lawsuit
September 01, 2005 by Staff

NEW YORK - Rupert Murdoch's plans for world domination of the internet have hit a snag, with news that shareholders in MySpace.com owner Intermix Media have launched a lawsuit to try to stop its $580m (£321m) takeover by News Corporation.


The suit has been filed by lawyers Kreindler & Kreindler in Los Angeles, and alleges that the directors of Intermix, owner of MySpace.com, engineered the sale to News Corp so that it benefited themselves at the expense of public shareholders.

It says that the $12-a-share price offered for Intermix is "glaringly inadequate and unfair". It also says that the company's directors have not undertaken all the necessary steps to maximise stockholder value.

Kreindler & Kreindler's Gretchen Nelson described the actions of the Intermix board as "unconscionable".

"Our investigation has revealed that other prominent companies expressed interest in advancing more attractive acquisition proposals, only to be given the cold shoulder by the self-interested defendants," she said.

MySpace.com has seen growth of 400% over the past year, and in April it received more hits than Google.

News Corporation is buying Intermix as part of a $2bn internet spending spree. It is also reported to be interested in acquiring the search firm Blinkx and gaming company IGN Entertainment.

ONE DOWN, (Several hundred more to go!) --Reuters

DreamWorks Records Nashville is being shuttered by its parent company, Universal Music Group.

Tom, I will frontpage that Myspace story for ya if you don't beat me to it.

I have no way of contributing an article.

I submitted it for ya. Just link stuff you find here "In The News" and I will always get right on it as soon as I can.

You can also hit the "news" button at the top of the Boycott-Riaa page and then then "submit" if you want to do all the text edits and C&P stuff, saving me the trouble.

...at least, I think that way still works.

Folks, when you got something you would like considered for the "front pages" of Boycott-Riaa, please do hit the "news" button, then on the drop-down menu, click "submit"

that way, even if I am not in house at the moment, chances are that CodeWarrior or leflaw or van (furiousBall) or somebody will be able to "approve" the article quickly enough.

Well off the music topic, but as i'm sure everyone has already noticed...AWOL bush has lived up to his name yet again, in the NO/Miss/Ala ordeal. my heart goes out to those in direst of straights down there, and as always...
~DOWN WITH THE BUSH REGIME~

ummm

The only real people AWOL during the whole Gulfport ordeal were the Democratic Party leadership the likes of Mayor Ray Nagin, who last we heard was hiding in the Marriott trying to get his closest friends out of town ahead of suffering poor "folk" and Democrat Governor Kathleen Blanco who when also not hiding looks like a deer in the headlights. Not to mention Mary Landrieu who cut funding that would have prevented massive flooding. 60% of the police force who were pick by Ray Nagin more based on race rather than merits walked off their jobs or ran away that is.

More examples of Democrat Cut And Run statergy?

Don't look for the liberal media for answers though. Judging for CNN AND MSNBC, they're trying to start a race war. Blame whitty seems to be the order of the day.

Take heart though poor suffering people of the Big Eazy city I love. Word has it Rudy Giuliani is on the way.

On a music note, Ditty gave a million dollars. Wonder if he could spare it?

Order of the day of course meaning blame Whitey. Some of course by fellow whites in the media. LOL

Hey guys and gals, PLEASE stick to music issues as much as possible when posting at Boycott-Riaa!

I don't mind an off-topic comment now and then, but if I see a whole bunch of political stuff (from either/any "side of the aisle") that doesn't tie-in somehow with music issues, I WILL delete posts when needed.

Boycott-Riaa is open to postings from the left, the right, the middle, or even those from the planet Mars...

but we discuss MUSIC issues here!

(Just a reminder folks!)

(I'd appologize for the link I posted to rapper Kanye West's verbal blasting of Bush if it were not for the fact that there is a "censorship of a musician's words" issue involved.)

I really don't want any of the finger-pointing over this terrible hurricane to obscure OUR issues.

Please folks, stick to MUSIC at Boycott-Riaa. There are TONS of other places on the net to fight about off-topic things! I know we are all only human and can't help how our own beliefs/political stuff flavors the things we say...

but PLEASE try to remember to be talking about MUSIC issues here.

Right Indy

But as Plato said,

"The cost to society of silencing individuals who were irritating could be very high. "If you kill a man like me, you will injure yourselves more than you will injure me" because his role was that of a gadfly, "to sting people and whip them into a fury, all in the service of truth."

Gadflies, please refresh the main-page here at Boycott-Riaa. I created a place for anything anyone wants to say regarding Katrina.

(It is obvious this is such a hot-button issue that I had no other choice in order to try and keep the rest of our threads on-topic.)

Blu-Ray to punish users for tinkering with their own hardware

Blu-Ray falls on their own sword by requiring divx-esque "internet verification" of hardware and media at all times, any detected tinkering results in remote destruction of the player.

Kazaa vs. Australian recording industry to reach climax (Ooer!)
http://mdn.mainichi-msn.co.jp/business/news/20050904p2g00m0bu006000c.html

$1.25 Million in Song Royalties Allegedly Embezzled

NEW YORK -- A federal criminal investigation is underway after $1.25 million in songwriter royalties allegedly was embezzled from the Songwriters Guild of America by its royalty manager and her family members.

According to a federal civil lawsuit the SGA filed in July, Marsha Aiken became the guild's royalty manager in 2002 and created a fraudulent membership account under the name Anthony Ray, whom the IRS later identified as her cousin.

Aiken allegedly began writing unauthorized royalty checks to Ray from the SGA's general account -- where the unlocated writers' funds are held -- and mailing them to him in Rhode Island.

A Rhode Island bank complied with federal banking regulations by notifying the IRS when someone attempted to cash an SGA check for more than $10,000, Sanders said.

The IRS then contacted the SGA, but Aiken, as royalty and office manager, took charge of the inquiry herself, and stalled the IRS with various excuses, Sanders said. In June the IRS contacted an SGA executive and pointed out that Aiken and the recipient of the check were cousins.

"Unlocated writers" -- that must be why they didn't look very hard for them. If they hadn't gotten so greedy and tried to cash such a big check, they could have done this forever.

$ 1.25 million! "If they hadn't gotten so greedy and tried to cash such a big check, they could have done this forever." Exactly...

What makes you think they haven't been?

Yep such Love and concern for the artists from these organiztions

Rolling Stones New Album Suffers Early Net Leak --Digitaltopia

...yeah, right.

British Music Retailers Begin Digital War --AP

ABC News sued over use of bin Laden footage --Reuters

FROM THE INBOX:

Hi, I work for Universal Buzz, a multi-media communication channel responsible for bringing the best entertainment related content to the most influential sites on the web. We’ve partnered with Virgin Megastore in Los Angeles to bring you the latest events that they are hosting. I'm not sure as to how events get posted on your calendar, so I'm hoping that you will either email me back telling me how to do so or let me know if your site is exclusive to how events are posted, either would be appreciated. Here is the event that I'm trying to promote.

On September 9th, Nic Harcourt will be at the Virgin Megastore to do a book signing of his unreleased, Music Lust. As music director of KCRW in Santa Monica, CA, and DJ of the influential "Morning Becomes Eclectic" show, Harcourt uncovers the best in new and overlooked music for over half a million listeners every day. With the diversity of genres represented and Harcourt at the helm, Music Lust’s eclectic access to musicians, themes, and styles is spot-on for this moment in music.

Thank you for taking the time out to read this. Feel free to email me with any questions in regard to these events, and thank you for any help that you can give me. There will also be more events to come!!




Cassie
Universal Buzz
169 Saint Paul Street
Rochester, NY 14604
Office: (310)-278-1181 (Virgin Megastore)
www.universalbuzz.com
www.universalbuzzintelligence.com
===============

This appears to be a contact from one of those semi-independent music promotion sites looking for a plug. Check 'em out if you want, but be skeptical as needed.

A question FROM THE INBOX if anyone cares to answer:

"Just a question. What, if any, techniques does the RIAA employ to find out whether you are using peer to peer networks to swap music that may be copyrighted? It seems like anything they did to investigate your computer files would be an invasion of your privacy and most likely illegal. I'd really appreciate some help with this issue! Thanks."

MORE INBOX STUFF:

The record industry has a cheek trying to shut down companies that provide P2P programs.
They has been ripping off music buyers for years and have been putting up prices by stealth year on year.
They have effectively been running a cartel and society is now fighting back.
Their cash cow is starting to be cannibalised by the digital medium and not before time.
Portable MP3 devices are everywhere and the consumer is in control of the format's supply and distribution.
The music industry face an uphill battle to win back the hearts and minds of consumers but it can be achieved.
They need to start thinking about musicians and music lovers and less about shareholders.
At the moment their industry is the epitome of capitalism and the pursuit of greed and to that end…they will fail !!!


Anonymous

Sony, Apple talk about online music --The China Post

Hey folks,

(...meaning regular faces, lurkers, "newbies" and etc.)

What would you all think if I took it upon myself to publish a 1 page newsletter/mailer each month?

I would ask the recipiant to pay the stamp/mail delivery charge plus the cost of the sheet of paper and ink, but I would put a "recap" of all the best stuff (as I see it) of the things/issues we discuss here at Boycott-Riaa each month.

(Yes, I certainly WOULD encourage recipiants to DONATE funds to me, BUT IT WOULD NOT EVER BE REQUIRED!)

(Just pay for the stamp and the mailing cost and the ink and the sheet of paper!)

Stupid idea? Too much work for no reward? Not something that should be sent to the "old-school" musicians and/or others who don't/won't read our site?

You tell ME!

(Just something I am thinking about.)

I'd love to do it if I don't have to spend a lot of money that I don't have in order to get it started.

(Hell, I am worried right now if I can pay my cable/internet bill this month.)

...but, a monthy one-page mailer would be simple enough if I could get the recipiants to pay the stamp and cost.

(I really want to reach out to those who don't have/want "Internet" and/or therefore don't read our site!)

====

...brainstorming/pipe-dreaming --taking on too much upon myself????

If they don't have the internet, Shmoo, how would they know about the site? Who would you mail it to? Unless we all have it sent to people we know...I have a lot of addresses. What about if you posted one here, and we could print it, and mail it out to people we know?

Thanks Tom.

Who would you mail it to? Unless we all have it sent to people we know

exactly...

but, nevermind. I was just "pipe-dreaming" and "talking out of my ass" anyway (MOSTLY what I ever do anyway)

...even something as simple as that I would never be able to afford.

That's why you post it here--we all can afford to mail it to a couple of people a month...or stick it up on bulletin boards in grocery stores and maybe even a Best Buy here or there....

Folks, I just talked to leflaw and he agreed that we can use some of the money (perhaps as much as $2 per each disc sold???) of the Boycott-Riaa Compilation CD for Katrina victem relief.

(My job in all this thus becomes harder because I gotta contact each of the artists again and "make sure" they agree to this...)

That's a great idea!!!!*kisses and hugs* for both of you!

Did you really think the RIAA cared ?

"What I’m surprised to NOT hear are words from all those multi-national corporate owned major labels who have been relatively silent. One would think that when you consider the huge jazz and blues catalogues owned by some of these major label groups that they would be among the first to be helping out and making public declarations to help bring relief to this area that has made them billions not millions.



What we’ve gotten from these major record labels in the form of their public representative the RIAA is an announcement in the mists of all this devastation, that they intend to sue 754 more ‘illegal’ music down-loaders. I checked the news clippings and even the RIAA website this Friday morning (Sept 2) and saw no mention of them helping or even giving a link to the Katrina relief efforts. (I took screen shots of all those websites if anyone wishes to see them or thinks I am lying)."

http://www.thuglifearmy.com/news/?id=1869

I don't encourage downloding RIAA shit because this is crap!

But if you really fell like doing it please do not buy CD, do not download a piece of DRM shit.

Instead download from Majorthreat on limewire, Bittorrent, Kazza, mute, Edonkey, ant and winy!

I am surprised that Vivendi, Sony/BMG, EMI or time Warner are not claiming copyright on Katrina.

There is another one comming: Maria! Shitman! Sue Maria!

Jackson's new heartfelt song will be on Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa's record label: does this qualify Jacko as an "indie, " and deserving of our support?

Sep. 07, 2005

Jackson plans single for Katrina victims

By Reuters
Pop star Michael Jackson, who has been in seclusion since his acquittal on sex abuse charges, has written a song that he will record to benefit victims of Hurricane Katrina, his publicist said Tuesday.

Jackson will record the single, "From the Bottom of My Heart," within two weeks, and he plans to enlist other entertainers for the project, spokeswoman Raymone Bain said.

"It pains me to watch the human suffering taking place in the Gulf region of my country," Jackson, 47, said in a written statement. "My heart and prayers go out to every individual who has had to endure the pain and suffering caused by this tragedy."

He added: "I will be reaching out to others within the music industry to join me in helping bring relief and hope to these resilient people who have lost everything."

Jackson, who left his Neverland Valley Ranch in California for Bahrain after his acquittal on child molestation charges in June, will record the song on a label owned by Bahrain's crown prince, Bain said, and donate the proceeds to hurricane victims.

Bain said Jackson was hoping to repeat the success he had with "We Are the World," a 1985 charity single with dozens of the era's top recording stars that raised more than $60 million for Africa. Jackson wrote the song with singer Lionel Richie.

"One would think that when you consider the huge jazz and blues catalogues owned by some of these major label groups that they would be among the first to be helping out and making public declarations to help bring relief to this area that has made them billions not millions."

One less artist they have to worry about paying anything to. Why should they worry. They have no loyalty or feelings for anything but their wallets.

Support Michael Jackson? Uhhh....NO. Give to the Red Cross. YES. Buy the Boycott CD when it's finished. YES. There are many good ways to give. We don't need a bad one.

This is rather sad

Bob Denver or Gilligan Dead

Some news of the day;

Hucknall despairs of music industry

And the big news is Apples big ipod-phone about to be released, which I heard will hold a wapping 50 tunes..now there's something everyone needs...do ya think?

Here's the phone story..I stand corrected, phone holds 100 tunes..

[url=http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story.asp?guid=%7BDA1E122F-509A-4C15-9E1A-4B90628F4ABD%7D&siteid=google[ipod phone[/url]

Kazaa news seems to be taking up the space still..slow day..

For those of you who were asking what the music industry is doing right now about Katrina?

Music Industry Responds to Katrina

While the devastating impact from Hurricane Katrina is still being assessed, the music industry continues to respond with a variety of donations, charitable events and assistance. Here is a short list of Web sites where you can donate your time or financial support for Katrina victims, as well as a running list of charitable events organized within our industry to aid those in need.

pepe:

that reminds me of how al capone would open soup kitchens while arranging massacres in gangland chicago =P

Bad boy, Alex....it's all for good. Pepe, you did a great job today. Thanks for the stories!

Nope.. the RIAA can't sue dead people, so they pay charity to keep them alive long enough to receive their subpoenas.

(disclaimer, my father is in one of the affected suburbs, this is confirmed)

Hello people, Yeah, I was about to break into that great old classic "All By Myself" Gets real quiet here when George isn't around

I hadn't heard that about Al Capone, but I still think this is a different set of circumstances..old Al had his own agenda...I keep ah you happy, you keep ah me happy..in cash...

Yeah, it's been kinda quiet. Congress is coming back, Tom is going to the Future of Music shindig, things will start picking up again.

Alex, he's all right, isn't he?

Looks like the fight is about to get down and dirty....

RIAA writes to Judge McMahon

Here's part, click for the rest....





However, that the cartel is starting to worry is evidenced by its letter to US District Judge Colleen McMahon, who’s already told the cartel's lawyers in reference to the Pay Us Or Else intimidation tactic that she'd, "love to see a mom fighting one of these".

"In an unusual move, the RIAA's lawyers have asked the Judge for permission to have a second oral argument of the motion, and to submit an unusual surreply to the defendant's reply papers," says Santangelo's lawyers on their Recording Industry vs The People blog.

Meanwhile, several times, while we’ve been reporting on the Big Four record labels’ Goebbelesque misinformation and disinformation sue ‘em all marketing and PR campaign, we’ve compared them to Big Tobacco, one of the several similarities being that both groups considering lying to be a normal, and eminently acceptable, form of communication.


But here’s something that almost passed us by.


EMI, UMG, WMG and Sony BMG have instructed their RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) to hire Shook Hardy & Bacon, the law firm famous for fighting off Big Tobacco’s tobacco victims and other plaintiffs, “sometimes hundreds at a time”.

Veddy interesting....the battle lines being drawn...I guess this is where the line in the sand is going to be determined...riaa wins..they win big and they will steamroll people..worse than now...they lose, they can send their lawyers packing and shut down their "payment center" Hope it all hangs together and gets to the end of the matter. For some strange reason, I have a lot of faith in Santangelo's lawyers.

Ray Davies speaks about being shot in New Orleans.

http://www.raydavies.info/newsframe.html

Music industry has a party on Capital Hill

http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3538336

"RIAA writes to Judge McMahon"

I told you they would try to wriggle out of this. BTW They have hired the company that so infamously defended to the tobacco industry against people who sued. This company motoriously came out smelling of roses, winning in court time after time.

Lets just hope McMahon smells the bullshit,

Good article, gfmlcka. Thanks for posting it.

DeadMan! You are really on top of things! I had not heard a word about that little get-together...
Gloria Estephan...Isn't she one of the artists that couldn't be found last year? Something about a royalty check?

Upper Darby, Pennsylvania Sept. 8, 2005 - Upper Darby police have arrested a young man, who they say had thousands of bootlegged DVD's in his garage.

The three thousand DVD's, are almost all of movies that are still in theaters.
They include "The Dukes of Hazzard" and "The 40 Year Old Virgin." Police say, they have a street value of about $75,000.

Officers arrested 20-year-old Ibrahama Fofona. He faces a long list of charges.
http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/story?section=local&id=3424211

Also on their blog today, concerning the letter to McMahon, they wrote__________________

"I would say that asking for a second oral argument is unusual, because (a) in almost 31 years of working in litigation I've never heard of anyone doing it, and (b) the very asking for it is an admission that the first oral argument was lost.

One can only guess as to why plaintiff's lawyers are doing it. Apparently something happened after August 15th to convince the plaintiff's lawyers that (a) they are losing, and/or (b) the case is more important than they initially thought it was. Or perhaps they are doing it because they are hired guns and their client just ordered them to do it"
_____________________________________

People, this is the most exciting thing to come along in awhile....I think they really are scared this time.....

The very fact that they hired the lawyers for the tobacco cartel says that they don't think their own lawyers can handle it...

[url=http://p2pnet.net/story/6175]Guns, criminal misuse and p2p [ /url]

This is an interesting piece by Alex H on p2pnet, comparing the way the government caters to two different cartels--the gun lobby and the RIAA.

"The president believes that the manufacturer of a legal product should not be held liable for the criminal misuse of that product by others," said White House spokesman Scott McClellan. "We look at it from a standpoint of stopping lawsuit abuse." Oh, really....

Okay, don't ask me how I did that...the link works, though, I think. Just click on it.

Gee, on pepes site for what the music business is doing to help Katrina victims, I see lots of artists working, giving their time and putting on concerts for FREE to raise money for the victims. I see links to very worthy sites to contribute. But I haven't seen a single mention of an RIAA label donating significant dollars to the cause. Am I wrong?? If so, show me a story or link that corrects me.

Where are the media companies with their contributions, in terms of dollars?? I see poor countries like Sri Lanka putting up $1million for help. Not one penny from an RIAA company??

Same thing happened at 9/11. While Ford, GM and Chrysler were donating millions, most foreign car makers donated almost NOTHING.

Don't be complacent !

I disagree that the RIAA will sue the companies--instead, they'll force them to get Napster!

Shadowmom,

You have a space before the "/url]". It should be [/url], not [ /url]. Just trying to help.

Thanks, I realized that ..but the link works anyway, right?

And from Mediachannel, this article:

Chief Justice Nominee Carries Slim Record on Tech

"By now, it's well known that Supreme Court nominee John Roberts upheld the arrest of a girl accused of snacking on a lone french fry inside a D.C. subway station, but his stance on technology matters remains murky.


On Monday, Sept. 12, the conservative federal judge will begin facing questions from the Senate Judiciary Committee in hearings widely expected to result in his confirmation as chief justice. The committee postponed the proceedings, originally scheduled to begin Tuesday, out of respect for the late Chief Justice William Rehnquist's family and in response to requests from others, including the mayor of disaster-stricken New Orleans."

Trojan Targets Online Porn Users With Koran

What an ambiguous headline! No hints, you have to click if you want to know...

Thanks for the heads up on Roberts. Our biggest problem remains that judges and Congressmen are too elderly to know how to use computers; hence, a moral panic and a kneejerk Luddite reflex.

Roberts is not known to use email, therefore he is a reactionary on tech issues. I'd like to know if he had any input on the Microsoft case, which Bill Gates wrongly set a strategy that Judge T. Penfield Jackson and special master Lessig could not learn computer technology fast enough to effectively advocate the issues.

My biggest fear (you read the prediction here first) is that either Ted Olsen or AG Gonzales will be named to the Supreme court.

I have evidence footage saved on my Tivo an admission from both of them that they cannot turn on a computer without assistance from their grandchildren .

Gawd help us, the day that somone in government, such as Mark Warner of Virginia, or Joe Trippi, actually grasped the importance of technology to our economy.

I'm planning on watching as much of it as I can, Tom. You would think that if these people don't get off their butts and learn a few things (even an idiot like me can!), then at least they would have the good sense not to have a half-assed opinion on it. (Btw, Joe Trippi sends me e-mail about once a month. We seem to have a rather large chain store in common!

COMPLETELY OFF TOPIC

But I couldn't resist. I'm signing up our favorite mule, Cary...

Unique L.A. School Offers Mule Training

Coming soon to a theatre near you...Cary the mule...in "The Mule-Whisperer."

WARNING -- THIS IS ALSO OFF-TOPIC. If that offends you, don't read it.

Oh heck...so many fools, so little time. Think this qualifies as a frivolous lawsuit?

Landlord Sues Restaurateurs Over Ghosts

I'd say he is.. the town lost power, water and stuff, but theyre distributing supplies and don't appear to have suffered the kind of damage that wipes it off the map.

Deadman, I like Fred--where's our SuperFred picture, Shmoo?

That's great, Alex. It's very inconvenient, but at least it doesn't sound life-altering.