Verbatim, from www.riaa.org

A New Vision for the Recording Industry

The past year has been one of the worst in the previous decade for the music industry. While factors beyond our control, such as the down-turn in the American economy, have no doubt contributed to this, the industry itself can certain not completely escape blame. In an attempt correct this, representatives from our member labels recently met to discuss ways of reforming the industry. The result of the meeting was a set of changes to current policies, outlined below, which, when implemented, we hope will pull the industry out of its current slump.

Our member labels will halt all plans to sell copy-restricted CDs. Restricting the use of CDs devalues the product, reducing the incentive for consumers to buy them. Also we believe that as time goes on, the public will realize, as we have, that due to the viral natural of distribution through file-sharing networks copy-restriction will never be effective at preventing online piracy but rather is indented to force our customers to buy the same music on multiple media.

We also vow to stop pursuing the companies behind file-sharing networks in court. In light of studies by reputable pollsters that have shown that most users of file-sharing networks reported that their music purchases increased in frequency, there seems to be little reason to continue spending millions in an attempt to shut down these services. Instead, we plan to propose to settle out of court in exchange for a royalty system based on a fraction of profit (only fair, given that these profits are derived in part from our products).

We will also stop lobbying politicians to impose draconian copyright laws on the American people. Last June, Rep. Rick Berman, who received more campaign donations from the entertainment industry than any other Congressperson, proposed legislation that would exempt rights-holders from anti-hacking law in order that they might exact vigilante-style justice on file-sharers. Initially we were thrilled at the display of the political might of our money, but later were sickened as we realized the implications for democracy in America. Morally, we cannot continue this manipulation of the political system.

In addition to the reasons just given, we also are doing both of the above, halting the lawsuits against the companies file-sharing services and stopping our coercive political contributions, in an attempt to restore consumer confidence in the music industry. Our customers will know longer will feel guilty after buying a CD, now knowing that the proceeds from their purchases will not be used to support causes that harm them and their peers.

To further convince consumers that the proceeds from their music purchases are well spent, we will be attempting to treat our talent more fairly. At the core of this effort will be the halting of collusion between labels on recording contracts. While overlooked by anti- trust law, the elimination of competition caused by collusion is just as harmful to the producers of content as it is to the consumers. No longer will artists be forced into signing contracts which reduce artist''s royalties for a multitude of arbitrary or antiquated reasons for if any label attempts such abuse, they''ll be certain to lose their talent to a competitor. We believe that this can be undertaken without damaging industry profitability. Firstly, the previously mentioned reduced legal and political expenditures will help to offset the cost. Secondly, we plan fix the sobering statistic that nine out of ten industry ventures end up failing recovering their costs. This figure would be unacceptable outside the entertainment industry and, while it was viable inside it due to the abuse of artists, there is no reason it should not be possible to vastly improve upon it.

Finally, we promise to stop trying to brainwash the world into thinking of music as property, something that an artist has an innate right to control, even after the media that embodies that music has changed hands. Rather, we will recognized only the original goal of copyright law in America, to benefit the average citizen by creating a incentive to produce creative works. We will also launch a publicity campaign to remind the public of this principle, unknown to many. We hope that upon learning that the true purpose of copyright law is to benefit them, average citizens will be more likely to respect it.

It is our hope that these policy changes will revitalize the industry and make it deserving of the unique place it holds within American culture.

http://www.riaa.org/PR_story.cfm?id=599

OMFG am I the only one who can't load the homepage(not the other riaa.org sites, just riaa.org) of that site? Must've been the peerguardian IPs I put in kerio PF.

That is so obviously a hack.

Wait, why are the links to anti piracy musicunited.org stuff still on the homepage(got it to load) if they were hacked? My head hurts

Thasp, try www.riaa.org

It works fine. riaa.org doesn't.

Either way, it's hard to tell.

They still have all the anti piracy stuff on the homepage, yet they have that. Wouldn't the hackers get rid of that stuff too?

How is it that they're using .org? Don't you have to be non-profit to have a .org?

this is just too good to be true

Reading this I don't believe a word of it. This has got to be a well written hack....remember the site was hacked today, and has been on a regular basis, including earlier today. This flies in the very face of everything the RIAA bebelives and stands for.

Cryxan, supposedly, but I've had a .org before, and had to prove nothing. I registered the .net and .org of my personal domain name to keep other from grabbing them....

I have some doubts that they would post such an article.

It has somewhat of an insult level to themselves.

However, if they were to actually do this (yeah right) then I would be more confident in them.

Probably a hack though.

But, I guess well wait and see.

Hail Mp3!!!

Where is this posting??? There is no way this is not a hack. It makes too much sense, and there are "typo's," which means it was probably thrown together quickly. If these knuckle heads were to pull a 180, they would at least take the time to spellcheck it.

Its a hack, albeit a classy one....

Dream on they wouldnt do that. Wish it were true though

Did Hell just freeze over?

nope goat, but az i do understand, tha ppl there did stop asking for icewater

2003 is starting out to be a very good year. The hackers have been screwing with the RIAA site all day, but this is clearly their best work to date.

Yeah, they could use a better spell checker, but this is the most logical and honest thing that's been on the site in months.

RIAA is non-profit I believe... the members in it aren't (?)

It's STILL THERE! It's 8:30 Sunday morning (EST) and it's STILL THERE. They don't realize it yet! MUHAHAHAHAHAH!

Shhhhhhhh

It's 12:45 and it's still there!

I may just start to believe that they have replaced that cash register in their chest with a human heart

FUCK!!! They took it off! I knew they weren't human!!!

did u ever really have any doubtz thasp?

yeah, that'll be the day... i look forward to the day when this is REAL

wow

It looks like a hack to me. Their site must be easy to hack.

I'm gladja reprinted it here, 'cause otherwise I wouldn't've been able to see it. Thanx.

Btw, just as we don't hafta sell something to possess a .com, we also don't hafta be non-profit to possess the .org. It's always been a voluntary thing. With the RIAA, I think it's a pure attempt at a smokescreen.

They own all kinds of domain names....in an attempt to protect their name and prevent anyone from doing a parody site. they also own HilaryRosen.com...

woah!!!!

thier site takes forever to load.

they won't tell how much teh cd's really cost to make!!! I wanna know exactly how much.... and AOL is making prices higher..... them wasing the "IFPI" numbers on the cd's is one example! they use up new IFPI numbers on each new type of cd they produce..... they probably make over 1038474580 types and over 943845754764 of IFPI numbers wasted!!!! soon were gonna run outta IFPI numbers cause of AOL!!!!!!!!!!!

"Our customers will know longer will feel guilty after buying a CD..."

the only reason i believed for a second that the RIAA could have written it

heh.....

wow that got my heart racin

yes as i was reading it i thought it was true
only because i thought the news piece said it was seriously from them

shit its over i thought, they actually get it now, but as i settled in to the thread it became clear that it was a hack .. god why did i believe for a second it was true .. set me straight about them i'll tell you

bout that statement though .. shit that's a keeper, it exposes them well (the riaa i mean), exposes the issue, will verse the consumer on this issue..the media, cuts through the heart of all the media-spun bullcrap, ALSO a good thing for the riaa-supporting artist to hear as well as our anti-piracy proponents, well written piece there

spread that around..it'd be like a virus..i know i'm gonna

The New York Times must have been fooled by it then as they're claiming it's legit.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/01/15/business/15PIRA.html?todaysheadlines
You have to register to read the article but someone reposted it here
http://www.terranbbs.com/ubb/showflat.php?Cat=&Board=TBH&Number=208241&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=2&fpart=1

as I read the article, I was almost taken in completely. Something in the language bothers me tho. It's TOOOOO prissy, TOO full of words and phrases like "apologise" and "never again feel guilty about buying a cd"..it seems too posed and prosy. Stuck up if you will. If this IS/WAS an actual post from the RIAA, then it would appear one of the best things they could do with the "millions and millions" they are saving would be to buy a better set of writers. *shrug* if it IS real, I wanna know when we start seeing actual physical results.. and what is this going to do to prices? Nothing mentioned there... just my take on it..
ttmmm