Music Industry Sends Warning to Song Swappers
By Sue Zeidler

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - The record industry opened a new front in its war against online piracy on Tuesday by surprising hundreds of thousands of Internet song swappers with an instant message warning that they could be "easily" identified and face "legal penalties."

About 200,000 users of the Grokster and Kazaa file-sharing services received the warning notice on Tuesday and at least one million will be getting the message within a week, according to music industry officials.

The copyright infringement warnings, which were sent by the Recording Industry Association of America, on behalf of the major record labels, said in part: "It appears that you are offering copyrighted music to others from your computer. ...When you break the law, you risk legal penalties. There is a simple way to avoid that risk: DON'T STEAL MUSIC, either by offering it to others to copy or downloading it on a 'file-sharing' system like this. When you offer music on these systems, you are not anonymous and you can easily be identified."

The music industry's campaign for the hearts and minds of Internet song swappers comes four days after a federal judge threw an unexpected roadblock to its efforts to shut down song-swapping services in court.

U.S. District Court Judge Stephen Wilson on Friday ruled that the Grokster and Morpheus services should not be shut down because they cannot control what is traded over their systems. Like a videocassette recorder, the software in question could be used for legitimate purposes as well as illicit ones, he said.

"We're expecting to send at least a million messages or more per week because these users are offering to distribute music on Kazaa or Grokster," said Cary Sherman, president of the RIAA.

Sherman described the move as an educational effort to inform users that offering copyrighted music on peer-to-peer networks is illegal and that they face consequences when they participate in this illegal activity.

Reuters article

Hmph. That's just... sad.

woot. Kazaa Spam!

IM to the RIAA:

"It appears that you are offering crappy music to others from your company...When you sue your customers, you risk financial ruin."

'Nuff said

what's their screen name? lol

RIAA Screen Names:

hrosen@riaa.com
csherman@riaa.com
moppenheim@riaa.com
fcreighton@riaa.com
acollins@riaa.com
aweiss@riaa.com

>> "DON'T STEAL MUSIC"

"DON'T STEAL MUSIC"

The labels are the only ones who are legally allowed to steal music from the artists.

This is why I stick to gnutella only. I even share full movie versions, games and software.

"Don't steal!" The RIAA hates competition!

Ah, phase V at last. Ive been wondering what was taking so long. This is where things get intresting. Phase VI is full scale targeted sabotage.

An obvious technique, im surprised it hasn't been used earlier. Im surprised it doesn't include a link to musicunited.org through. Still ineffective. The messages rarely get read, the systems are left running unattended for hours.

To the RIAA:

Bring it, BITCH!

Kazaa and Grokster should sue the RIAA for abusing there software to herass end users.

This will be about as effective as the FBI warnings they put at the head of pre-record VHS tapes. Boy that sure spread fear through the hearts of society! (so then the just created Macrovision for the fun of it

So, if thousands of users don't comply, are they going to sue them? AHAHAHAHAHAHA. It's a great way to kill who you're representing buisness. Sue tons of their customers at once. I think it's great. It seems they want to fail.

To: RIAA
CC: MPAA, Your mom
Re: Bring it on
Message:
Hide ho freind, well not really, Howa about you go pick on someone your own size you big bully!!! Also leave my freinds alone or face our wrath. Here is a question, Didn't you mom tell you to share? Of course she did, well right now me and my buddys use p2p as a way of doing what our moms told us to do, and you trying to stop us is just obsurd and just plane not nice! Go off to your little corner and cry you mainging mutt.
Aloso if you send me a message like that you will be violating my privacy and I'll get you for that. If you even try doing something to my box, I will take action in my own hands. I hope you know that I got a big sign in my front lawn that says "No Trespassing all violaters will be shot".

Note: I don't make threts, I make promises!

-mtekk

P.S. Bring it on!!!

I think this will be a cat and mouse game, where the MICE win!

“About 200,000 users of the Grokster and Kazaa file-sharing services received the warning notice on Tuesday and at least one million will be getting the message within a week, according to music industry officials.”

Seems pretty slick for an organization that can’t maintain a website.

What’s the story?

I still think it's just sad. That would be like Microsoft suing the people who buy their products because the majority of us run (on some level) pirated software. Whether or not we should be doing these things is a personal belief, set of morals, or what have you, but it's just idiotic to sue (or threaten to sue) the people your market relies on.

Well I guess I'll be getting that message about 2400 times...oh if they use the Windowns XP IM to hack through to your computer, go here http://8help.ohio-state.edu/913.html to get directions to disable it. It's the dawning of a new world RIAA, grow with us, there is really no other choice, your Hitler tatics on the music industry are dying fast.

Hmm.. I guess it is a good thing that I use Kaza Lite that allows me to disable messages. Send away I will just keep using the four supernode proxies that have cropped up on the internet. Hmm. get my IP in most cases it won't be mind.

Simple, Every person who gets one of these messages. Just don't buy a CD or go to a movie for a year...

feedback loops....got to love em...

From what I understand they are using the im feature in the file sharing applications themselves. They hired it out. They don't have a clue.

the problem with boycotting or whatever, is that the RIAA just writes off the drop in sales to those damn pirates!

Faded does have a point.

How can the RIAA send notices to millions of people using Kazza's services without providing public proof. It's the same as if I owned a website and sent copyright infingement notices to users that go onto an opposing website. I think that they are not just trying to shut down illegal file trading but shut down the competition (p2p).

Hail Mp3!!!

prob just using good old fashioned autobots to spam the IM's. Hmm, i would think that would be considered flooding the network?

what ever happened to the recording industries "price fixing scheme" lawsuit of yesteryears.....i have always wanted to know since it was "media blacked out" peace.

ohhhh yeah, dont forget to download "kazaa peerguardian" from kazaa lite (thousands of url's to give riaa the run around)

Well, today there were about 4.7 million kazaa users on, at around 4 PST. That is a new high that i have seen, doesn't look like there efforts will help any.
Check to see if the numbers change during the day that much, probably not.

The riaa are completely illegitimate in their claims of copyright infringement.

Last i heard, they don't own a copyright on computer files. They own copyright on music
albums which are purchased.

Whoa... Is this a legitimate use of a piece of software that they just legally argued had no legitimate uses?? hmmmm...

Computers are file-sharing devices by their very nature. The only way that they're going to get rid of file sharing is to get rid of computers. Judging from the success they've had at keeping their website running properly, I think that they would consider that an acceptable answer.
www.bluecollarcrime.com

The Full Text of the IM they are sending:

COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT WARNING: It appears that you are offering copyrighted music to others from your computer. Distributing or downloading copyrighted music on the Internet without permission from the copyright owner is ILLEGAL. It hurts songwriters who create and musicians who perform the music you love, and all the other people who bring you music.

When you break the law, you risk legal penalties.There is a simple way to avoid that risk: DON'T STEAL MUSIC, either by offering it to others to copy or downloading it on a "file-sharing" system like this.

When you offer music on these systems, you are not anonymous and you can easily be identified.You also may have unlocked and exposed your computer and your private files to anyone on the Internet. Don't take these chances. Disable the share feature or uninstall your "file-sharing" software.

For more information on how, go to http://www.musicunited.net/5_takeoff.html.

This warning comes from artists, songwriters, musicians, music publishers, record labels and hundreds of thousands of people who work at creating and distributing the music you enjoy. We are unable to receive direct replies to this message. For more information about this Copyright Warning, go to www.musicunited.net.

This is a scare tactic aimed directly at the casual user. This will actually run off a goodly number of folk, I think. But then, scaring off a good 150,000 users when there are millions (and growing) isn't obviously going to work.

I wonder how much all these technological and litgitious efforts are costing the Association. Wouldn't that money be better spent working to improve their bottom line?

For more information, go to musicunited. haha, what a goof.

First, they try to appeal to our fear of prosecution. At the same time, they try to appeal to our "sense of good." Wouldn't wanna "hurt" hundreds of thousands of artists (at the expense of millions others). Then, they have they thrust to point people to their propaganda site, while making it very clear they won't be contacted directly. Interesting how they can invade our privacy by contacting us directly, but we can't contact them.

Such gall.

I wonder how much money it would take the RIAA to sue over 4 million people, and that's just on Kazaa. The truth is they can't do squat against file sharing.

I was one of the people on KaZaa that received their little threat, so i thought it was only fair that I should be able to respond. So I logged onto the RIAA website, and left this comment:

So you sent me this little nastygram on Kazaa yesterday, and I am now responding. I buy cd's on a frequent basis, usually a minimum of 2-3 per month. My most recent purchases have been the latest Everclear release, the 8-mile soundtrack, a Jimmy Eat World cd, a Jon Mayer cd, and the soundtrack from Remember the Titans. That's just since December. Other than the movie soundtracks, all of these purchases were made because I downloaded and listened to the songs first. I do not own a cd burner, I am not burning copies left and right. I am a mother of two children, and even with two incomes, things are frequently tight, budget-wise, in our house. In the last year, I have purchased 29 cds. Probably half of those have gone to the local Karma, because half of the music on them was crappy filler that wasn't worth listening to. I spent an average of 15 dollars on each of these cds. Even if you figure that I took ten of them to Karma, and got 2 dollars apiece for them, I'm still out $120.00 for cds that I got little to no use or enjoyment out of. So yes, I download music, because I'm not paying 15 dollars for even one more cd that I only end up liking two or three songs on. I have to work for an hour and a half to pay for that cd, so how is that a reasonable cost, if the product is lousy? You have a link on your site about "The cost of a CD", but you don't actually tell us what the cost to produce a cd is, now do you? And don't give me this "cost of touring" stuff, because there is fat cash being made off of concert tickets, too, so that shouldn't be figured into the cost of a CD. You claim that you can't figure the actual production costs, but I have family that works at Sony DADC, and you know what? It costs apprixmately 80 cents to physically produce each cd and packaging that goes with it. Which means that the other 14-19 dollars aren't from production costs. Not only that, but you talk about artists' royalties, and I want to know how many labels are still paying their royalties based on vinyl costs, which were around 8-10 dollars each, as opposed to cd costs? You think we don't know that anywhere from 4-6 dollars worth of the cost of a CD goes right into your coffers? You think we don't know that it was the record labels that pretty much forced the conversion to cds by refusing returns of vinyl albums beginning in 1989, thus making it impractical for stores to carry them? You can take your little nasty messages and stick them someplace uncomfortable, because now, instead of buying CDs, I'm going to take the money I would have spent on my next 5-6 CD purchases and buy myself a burner. Screw some other unsuspecting consumer, I for one am fed up with your little monoply. You know what your REAL problem is? You've been able to call all of the shots, and control the technology and costs for too long, and now you think that it is your right. Well, you are dealing with a brand-new breed of consumers, baby. We are better informed, more technilogically advanced, and more demanding of a QUALITY product than consumers were in 1989 when you started scamming us. But now that people are putting the screws to you, you want to whine, and tell us we're breaking the law. Well, last I heard, highway robbery was illegal, too. So go find another kettle to call black, please, and leave me alone!

Jynnantonix,
I don't want to encourage you to file share more, but the enforcement by the RIAA is so LOW, by the time they sue a mass of people, they probably won't have the money to ligigate anyway.
Can anyone give numbers on how much it costs to file such a suit? Maybe a million or two.
Plus when they sue people, they loose more customers, and loose more money than they make. I don't see the logic in all of this, but the RIAA seems to.

This is an email i just wrote musicunited.com
Tell me what u think:
Hello,
I have looked at your website, and i have real problems with it.
You suggest many things about filesharing on this (http://www.musicunited.net/5_takeoff.html)page that should not be there.
Like: "Not only does this make you a potential illegal distributor"
This is like saying, "If you own a VCR recorder or DVD recorder, disable the record feature because you could be a potential illegal distributer."
I share files on kazaa, only by independent artists and ones that are authorized. Why should i uninstall the software? I am also a Christian and my consience is clean in regards to not sharing any illegal music.
You need to redo your website to urge people to stop sharing, not by uninstalling, but by encouraging them to know that what they are doing is not right. Your website will probably increase filesharing, atleast that is my opinion.
I would enjoy corresponding more about this with you.
Thanks,
directive

Also, check the motto of musicunited.com:
"Music United for strong internet copyright"
Sounds a little naive to me.

I HAVE the answer. Stop using Kazaa. It sucks. Use Soulseek and eDonkey/eMule.

There motto should be:
"Music United for helping people know which files are illegal to share"
or
"Music United for threatening the public out of using kazaa" (even legally)
or
"Music United for not adapting to technology"

Frawgster,
I'll look into soulseek, also i use kazaa lite.
No pop ups.
Thanks

It seems the RIAA has committed perjury. They claimed in the Verizon case:
"the RIAA has said they could not contact users on their own."
Obviously, they can, and they lied under oath in court. The judge in the Verizon case should arrest them for perjury. and for putting out sub-par product for the last 10 years and blaming their sales decrease on file trading. When Napster was at full swing, CD sales were at their highest level EVER! When Napster was shuttered, sales fell. Hmmm.

I decided to scare 'em back with some religious tactics :

You people disgust me, with your unending desire for greed. All I can say is, you might get your $ in this life, trying to make simple sharing between two people into stealing, but in the next, Almighty God is gonna give you what you deserve. Like Scrooge forged big chains, you are forging yours...and there isn't gonna be a Jacob Marley to warn you either! Consider ME your Marley, cuz man oh man when you guys reach the pearly gates you're gonna wish you were still alive, the punishmnent for your greed that will await you will really be THAT frightening.

Peace And Love, and for God's sake change your ways.

Yep, yep, yep... I say, in addition to telling people about Boycotting the RIAA, and such, we encourage people to email the RIAA with complaints. Perhaps hundreds of thousands of email clogging their network will help convince them that we aren't going to see things their way, and that if they want out money, they had better start earning it.

"It hurts songwriters who create and musicians who perform the music you love, and all the other people who bring you music. "

I'm a songwriter, and the first thing I'm doing when my album is ready is putting my music on sharing files. Music is written to be heard.

I'm gonna join that Madonna contest man, I got the KRAZIEST idea for a "mix"...hehe...

i know RIAA keeps talking about people stealing this music. but i know several artists dont mind file swapping as long as it spreads there music around.

i have downloaded music and then gone out and bought the cd, because i really liked it.

im also a poor college student, struggling to pay tuiton. and a first generation college mexican student, so i dont have money to go out everyweekend and buy cds. so i download. and i spread the word out on bands, to friends who then buy the cds. while i download the music.

basically my theory is some bands have enough money dont necessarily need me to go buy their cds. upcoming artits, Adam Green, Rufus Wainwright, Air and so on. ive bought them all. but i dont even have the money to buy all the music i listen to. and i wouldnt be so frivolous to spend hundreds to thousands of dollars for music i can get for free.

if cds werent so expensive i would buy them. some cds now are coming out the first week for 10bucks, which is great. 10 bucks i can afford. but 15-20, thats just insane for one cd. when you have a strict budget.

what RIAA should be doing is making cds more affordable instead of coming down on the swapping file sites. i mean, if its either pay 17 bucks for one cd, or go download it for free, people will download it. its mostly teenagers to 20 somethings downloading music nowadays. people with limited funds. if it was 10 bucks or free, i think some people would go buy the cd, AFTER listening to some of the songs.

2 questions:
1.What is Kazaa going to do about this mass messaging?
2.How do we do the same thing, but with a different message?
Thanks

2 questions:
1.What is Kazaa going to do about this mass messaging?
2.How do we do the same thing, but with a different message?
Thanks

1. Ignore it. Its ineffective. If it worked the spammers would be using it by now

2. We could, it would just be a matter of writing a program to send mass messages. But again, its not very effective and likely to get us accused of spamming.

Thanks goldenpi

Music United's website has plenty of crap... look what the artists are saying about music piracy, that´s plain stupid! Look here http://www.musicunited.net/3_artists.htm

Art Alexakis, Lead Singer of Everclear: "I think the fact that they are stealing recorded music is something that we have to stop. It's taking money out of my kid's mouth. That's the way I look at it. It's wrong. It's inherently wrong. It's stealing."

Taking money out of his kid's mouth? Oh my god, some sentimental appeal to encourage us to spend our precious money on his CD.. he is 10x more rich than us and can spend up to what, 50 cds a day?

It's too darn expensive for me and the for the mexican student who posted here to buy cds. I know what he´s talking about. I am from Brazil and we are also complaining about cd prices, it´s outrageous to pay 15 bucks for 2 or 3 good songs and we still have to listen the rest, which in most of the times are crappy filler, like
Jynnantonix beautifully said.

Jynnantonix: I couldn't agree more with you, you said everything I wanted to said.

WE WANT CHEAPER CDS!!!!!!!!!!

Just another example of the excesses of stardom... Art Alexakis' kid has a mouthful of money, while mine are eating chicken. LOL, sorry, can't resist making fun of people who become self-important after making a bit of money! I like Everclear, but Art needs to take a good look at the music industry that he is backing, and the cost it is having on his fans. Because it's his FANS, not the record label, who are actually paying him.

I almost forgot to mention this:
The last CD i bought was used on Half.com, it was a spanish CD by NEK.
I got it there used, which i totally reccommend, buy CD'S used on ebay or on half.com or anywhere else inwhich the RIAA will not get a dime.
thanks

Hey guess what? I saw the "DONT STEAL" news blurb running by on the bottom of Fox News Channel today. It might still be running if ya wanna check it. meh.

Music United is just a well-oiled p2p war propganda machine and a tool to superimpose their draconian ideology on us. I'm a college student and I bet Hitlery Rosen doesn't realize that I live in a state where my state school's tuition is going up by as much as $1200 more to the current annual tuition that I am paying, as well as sales tax increase to a whopping 8.75 %. She doesn't relalize that her bribes to our good for nothing Congress is only making my pure hatred towards her grow. She's lucky she lives on the left coast, w/ affordable state school tuitions and lower taxes. However, I am stuck to buy your overpriced flat plastic donuts of filler (didn't my state find you guilty of price gouging and forced your minions to pay up). Sooner or later this problem will reach its boiling point and it will get physical. People won't stand for white collar BS from people that corner us like mice. Madonna is gonna do nothing to stop p2p, she'll suffer the same PR fate as Metallica did three years ago. What you should do is instead of becoming the problem and the annoying thorn, you should become the solution to legitimate filesharing. Try this: let's say you charge $4-5 a month through people's ISPs for using p2p networks w/o reprisal from the law. If you do the math (hypothetically), at $5 a month times 35,000,000 p2p users in this country would equal to $175,000,000 a month, times that by 12 months and you get $2.1 billion. Divide that by let's say 400 artists who want to collect royalties from this pool of money in a secure account, and those artists will be equally paid $5,250,000 annually. That's $437,000 a month all to yourself or to divide among your band. It has a chance of working and it WILL catch on, not to mention it will make illegal filesharing extremely less popular. Heck, I would be the first one to sign up for this plan.

SonGokou316,
I hear youre cries, but the solution is not through the ISP'S, its in ending the power and control of the RIAA.
That is first, then we'll see what happens.

Also, musicunited seems to suggest that filesharing and illegal activities are the same thing.
They have no consideration or respect for the indies and other files which are legit.
The majority of the file swapped are RIAA files, along with porn, but if i ever hear back from them, i will be confronting them about telling people to stop file sharing when it can be compeletly legal.
I am just frustrated that they think those words are synonymous!

Is what they just did even legal? The RIAA is just another union, and its even more evil and stupid. Don't they realize with each step against online swapping they do they're making people hate them even more.

The record industry has long been packaging "cool" and selling it to the public. This is a multi BILLION dollar industry, just like any other, they only care about the bottomline. This all sounds a bit like the baseball tools that think they should make 22 million for hitting a ball. COME ON!! I am only buying CDs from Indy labels, and boycott the majors. Damn the man!!

I think it's a hoax, it is some pimply faced punk with a bad Bill Gates Haircut who secretly fantacizes about a naked Hilary(HOG)Rosen.
Jynnan - I have found out, by experience of all my brick throwing malcontentedness, that people pay more attention to real letters, E-mail is just too easy to block/ignore or delete. The physical size of paper mail has to be dealt with by actual manpower. I get more answers to my snotty letters than I Do with any 50 e-mails.
The RIAA will never approve of any p2p, regardless of who runs it or profits from it. They know that they cannot control the internet, which is their sole aim (control). Just like they control the printed and televised media.
HILARY- Someday I may find it in my heart to forgive you, your trespasses against us, but,...Jesus will get you for this!

Oh yea.......Art RelaxedAnus, er, whatever you call yourself. What's taking food out your kids' mouth is your damn crack addiction! Loser!

Got a question. If no one seems to want to embrace mp3 and all, why is emusic.com still functioning? I was on for about 8 months a loved it. The only reason I am not on any longer is for financial reasons of recent months, but I'll be back with 'em. Ten bucks, unlimited downloads, fully authorized by the labels. Some fairly popular artists, but a lot of independents as well.

I can't seem to figure out why no one can come to a situation that will work since it is already in place at emusic.

Also, a method to return the favor to Miss Hilary? How about an organized mass e-mail attack? Just one message from everyone at a certain date and time. Get enough people and that e-mail server is toast. Not spam because it is just an individual response to their message, right?

So what if it's coordinated...

Yeah... damn the man, Save the Empire, right? You can bet that I am writing paper letters, Rythm! Not only to the RIAA, but to the labels listed as members of the RIAA, letting them know I am boycotting thier products, and encouraging others to do so also. I have worked up a form letter, so that I can just change the address. Sent ten of them out yesterday. I also sent letters to my congressman, and senators, letting them know that I am encouraging everyone I know to not vote for anyone receiving contributions from the RIAA, because we don't want politicians in office who are living in Hilary Rosen's pocket. They are supposed to have the best interests of their constituents in mind, and my best interests do not coincide with those of the RIAA. I have been emailing the letter to my friends, so that they can print them, sign them and mail them also! Maybe if enough people start making noise, and actually giving a damn, something will change. The thing is, it is up to us to change them, so it takes everyone working together. Write your congressmen and senators, tell them if they accept money from the RIAA, you will not vote for them. Remind them that they work for us, not the other way around, and that if we don't like the way that they are doing their jobs, we will fire them!

It's funny how they imply that you can only see a persons IP if they share files. Funny, last I checked, I could see the persons IP that was uploading from me as well.

Naturally though, they use scare tactics and apply it to the computer illiterate fears.

Question on this: (partially serious)

The RIAA has stated that they intend to CONTINUE this messaging practice on a weekly basis.

If you take a screen shot (or picture) of this message with a date on it over a period of time and it consistantly comes to you...couldn't that be viewed as harrassment? If so, doesn't that move it to a criminal case?

Man, wouldn't Hilary love being arrested for this? Heh heh...

I wish...

Ironic how the RIAA can get away with doing illigal activities such as flooding a network with their spam, DoSS attacks etc but it's against the law for people to swap files computer to computer? The way I see it, they are breaking the law more than we are.

Jynnantonix:

That was a scathing like only a mom can deliver. You rock, mama !

Yep.. nobody can read you the riot act like a mom can. Oh, something else I thought y'all would get a kick out of. They are sending out that message still. Got one last night. So I figure that they're paying some lackey to sit there and spam me, so why not have some fun with it, right? So yesterday, I sent them an IM back, with a link in it... when you open it, all of these really loud sirens, bells and whistles go off and this voice starts shouting "PORN FREAK, PORN FREAK" over and over. They probably didn't open it, but I get a little giggle out of the thought of some pasty little RIAA minion frantically trying to make it stop.

Oh I do have an answer to this...

>>what ever happened to the recording industries "price fixing scheme" lawsuit of yesteryears.....i have always wanted to know since it was "media blacked out" peace.

Damned HTML..

Oh I do have an answer to this...

(qoute)what ever happened to the recording industries "price fixing scheme" lawsuit of yesteryears.....i have always wanted to know since it was "media blacked out" peace.(quote)

They were in fact smacked with a $480 MILLION dollar fined, more or less caught red handed and busted hard, then fined, and how interestingly convenient.

THE VERY NEXT DAY - is when they went after Napster, probably in an attempt to replace the $480mil they hadda shell out when the court concluded they were utterly, completely, and dare-I-say-it, *maliciously* guilty of the crime.

The news/courts gave no indication of where the money would go, however, so I doubt any ripped off customers were paid back - damned shame.

Not to mention that $480Mil is a spit in the ocean compared to what they stole from US.

They've robbed US consumers for over two decades, willfully, intentionally and viciously, using any and every means to do it too - why the HELL should anyone feel the slightest bit of guilt retaliating in kind ?

-Kel

Actually, there is a settlement pending. A couple of months ago, I got an email from a friend, telling me that in order to file a claim, and be included in the class action, you had to go to a page at the RIAA website and fill out the claim form. It was the last day to register, and they didn't publicize this widely, obviously. The most you will get is up to $20.00, but you might not get anything. If so many people joined the suit that it would make it impractical to send checks (like, if it works out to less than 5 dollars each) the money would go to programs that help pay for music education, and the like.

BTW< had I known about this site, then... I would definitely have made sure to broadcast the info far and wide!

How many GOOD file sharing sites are there?

Jynnan, I would like to have a copy of that.

You can go to: www.musiccdsettlement.com to read the details. They published notices in TV Guide, Parade magazine, etc.

The bastards sent me that warning too on Tuesday.

I am an audiophile. I have well over $3000 in VINYL that I can no longer listen to....albums AND 45s (remember them???)

I was FORCED into buying more expensive CDs in 1989. I pushed it off for a while by buying only cassette tapes. I resisted as long as possible.

I currently have over 2000 files to share on Kazaa and at least another 3000 in storage on media....some I got from independants wanting their music to be heard...some I download to hear the music before I waste money on a CD full of filler crap...some are from out of print CDs that I can't find anywhere...and most are songs that I ALREADY PAID FOR ON VINYL AND CASSETTE FOR THE LAST 25+ YEARS.

So....I think I have the right to download and share whatever I want.

What makes this any worse than taping copies of albums onto cassettes?? What makes this any worse than taping songs off the radio?? The artists have been screwed for years by the industry, not the fans. Blame the industry or lose the fans.

I have spent well over $500 on CDs in the last year, and about 1/4 of them were straight from an indy artist's website, not a record club or retailer.

All those rich musicians piss me off. All of them. (Lars in particular!---FORMER hard core Metallica fan here--I will never buy another CD by them again).

I'm a 34 year old divorced mother of 2 and I don't give a shit what RIAA says. Start making CDs cheaper and start making CD singles more available and at a reasonable price. I might reconsider my evil ways.

Until then...go ahead...sue me. I have nothing of value anyway.

What a joke.

And what about all my 8-track tapes???

LMAO

Hahaha me too...I finally threw out all my old 8 tracks because I could get them online and burn them to CD!

Hey... I still have 8-tracks... and a working player. But then again, I still have my Atari 2600 (in working condition!) too.