"There's no mass exodus, that's safe to say. Ironically, usage this week and this month is up."

In other words, the RIAA's hopes of terrorizing file sharers aren't working.

The quote comes from Eric Garland, a spokesman for BigChampagne, a research firm which monitors p2p networks which file-swappers use, in the BBC's Lawsuits 'not scaring swappers'.

The association, funded mainly by the Big Five record labels and which acts for them, filed 261 lawsuits against individuals it says were sharing music files online - including a 12-year-old girl.

Garland said the monitoring of FastTrack, used by Kazaa and Grokster, saw that figures had increased and:

"The number of people using these file sharing services in the first 10 days of September is up more than 20 percent from the August average."

Predictably, the RIAA told the Beeb it didn't, "put much stock" in the estimated figures.

"Clearly our enforcement efforts have stimulated conversation among parents, children and many others about the illegality of distributing copyrighted music online and its consequences," said an RIAA spokesman.

"The objective here is to create an environment where legitimate online services can grow and thrive."

As the report also points out, several internet music services and individuals offered to pay the $2,000 settlement the RIAA was demanding from the 12-year-old.

Among them was P2P United, an advocacy group representing some of the larger p2p services, including Grokster whose president, Wayne Rosso, said he felt the RIAA were acting like "bullies" by targeting a young girl.

"It seems fitting that P2P United is willing to pay Brianna's settlement fees since it was their members who induced her infringement in the first place," said an RIAA spokesman petulantly.

Ha ha, RIAA, you spooked some of them at first, but now your ex-customers are MAD AS HELL! The cat is almost all the way out of the bag and we are going to do EVERYTHING in our power to say "here kitty kitty!"

Shmoo, of Electric Gypsy
Support Local and Independent Music!

man i can't what the time is almost hear i can see it all now it's clear as day to any one just look a few months into future

tonight at 10 on fox 7 the internashional riaa will be closeing it's doors today thay had about a 60 year run but the fans desided it's about that time time for the big five to simple go away
also in related news
local kid screams out to cary you big fat chickin liped fa@get u sued my mom for 2,000,000 and now i will be poor for the rest of my life and hers helping pay this debit off

thair will be a public auction held next week you can own a peace of history i even hear cray-sherman can't afford the up keep on his fake lips any more so he will be selling them man i don't know about you but thats one peace of history i would like thats just about as big as owning hitlers mersades

this has been a spoff (aly enron)

Seems more consumers are learning about P2P.

Way to go RIAA.

This type of tactic is not going to work. People may fade out during the time that the RIAA is searching for sharers and filing law suits aginst little girls, but when people hear a new song on the radio and don't have the income to pay $18 for it they will reinstall the software and download the song. Even if the numbers are low in the community they will probably come back up when the news of the RIAA and their "sue-em-all" campaign dies down.

Hail Mp3!!!

Thank you RIAA.

Thank you for making me even a SMARTER KaZaa user. Thank you for letting me know that not offering more than 100 songs for download will not get me in trouble. Therefore, I don't stop using KaZaa....in fact I put up some of the hardest, rarest songs I have on my hard drive to offer to the world. I do this in protest of your communism ways, I do this because you are pissing on yourself, worried that you will be the next "non-profit" to go under along with the Big 5 (soon to be 4) record labels. You are all evil, and the internet community sees right through you. I will continue to offer my songs to the world, and I urge everyone else to do the same. Everyone needs to offer around 100 songs to everyone else, and not the typical Britney Spears pop....but something that moves you and may be difficult to find in your local record store. As for the record stores, yes you too will be extinct soon, just like the horse and buggy...your days are numbered. But, you can fight this as well by changing your business model. Put up download kiosks all around your store, let people pick and choose the music they want. Hell, I would pay $20 for 20 of my favorite tracks if I could put it together myself instead of being forcefed the new nouveu punk crap that is out there today. Au revoir RIAA, your days are numbered....

RIAA is collapsing like a huge skyscraper....and im loving it



Freedom > RIAA

Yes, the RIAA just loves showing everyone just what assholes they are. ^_^ Oh well, whatever tactics suit them, keep shooting yourself in the foot RIAA!

The revolution will not be telivised.

otech, That's correct.

I did not know anything about Napster or online music trading till they brought that loveable cat in to court and shut it down. But the damage was already done. Too many people heard about the file-trading and were hooked creating a demand that only the numerous p2p communities could satisfy.


However, less people will be exposed this time than at Napster's demise because that was the first large file-trading network and almost everyone who watches the news probably saw the technology.

Hail Mp3!!!

Usage is up?!?!?

It almost sounds as if some people just heard about P2P and said... "FREE MUSIC!?!?! I NEED IN ON THAT ACTION!"

i would be willing to pay a modest amount for music, given

a. the money was going to the artist first and foremost, a little to the studio, a little to the label, a little to the production staff, and a little to promoters, but it doesn' happen like that.

b. that i got to pick and choose what songs i want on a given CD

ok, easy way to do this, install computers in every major music outlet with high speed *ie T3 or faster* access to major music libaries, charge about $.50 per song - $.75 per song, would no longer have to worry about packaging or anything like that, have a huge HD in this machine that could keep the songs on it that have been d/led for faster access.

something along the lines of this would let you legaly buy the CD, give you unlimited rights to the music you bought, and you would have a cd you deem "worth having" that would have nothing on it you call filler music

United WE Stand

My brothers! the battle has just started! "don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes"

I see this as a third party, that has nowhere to go! (Third party)! Did I just say that? I knew of another third party defeated during ww2.....oh well, yes a third party that wants to keep business as normal. I was reading on another post of someone complaining of the "middleman" Why must we only have one choice? One music industry, that sets controls on pricing?

WHY? He said we have choices today because of deregulation of business's Makes sense to me.

Why pay the middleman? so much for soooooo little? Yes i'll bet their tactis are not working WE HAVE THE FORCE!

MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU MY BROTHERS! Join the Fight of the great evil empire.

yeah, I guess it provoked some conversation between my parents and me. My mom told me "make sure you don't get caught."

The only effect it's had on me is to discourage me from buying from the corporate devils. File sharing isn't illegal so I'll continue. I don't have the time to check the copyright of every file so screw it.

One question that's been bothering me through all this. If downloading music that has been legally purchased and listen too is illegal why isn't purchasing or recieving used CD's?? neither activity pays the RIAA any money I'm aware of

On TECH TV - Since the RIAA did not show up, none of the pro-big label people wanted to give a good defense of the SUE EM ALL campaign. Even the one artist they brought on, Mr. Dean of Trick Pony, said he didn't want to sue people, and Leo LaPorte paraphrased David Bowie, that, you don't sue your customer.

The big labels, on the show, came off as arrogant, money hungry, and duplicitous. What else is new, right?

It's obvious that CD sales didn't go to zero because of file sharing. They should already be out of business if that was the case. I just looked at my records and seen I bought 58 CDs in 2003. As soon as I heard about the RIAA attack I stopped. This BOYCOTT is going to save me a bundle.

Thanks Code. I had to work yesterday and didn't get to see the show. I've been scouring the websites, even tech tv, for some results. no article on this site which suprised me. I do plan to watch it tonight. 5:00pm pacific time If I'm not mistaken

forget 10,000 they are almost at 20,000!
i signed it when it was at about 810 and that was only a few days ago

I didn't think they would show! They are to busy fighting damage control over 12 year olds and grandpa's! being sued! I wonder when they will hit a claymoore and get their feet blown off in a real heated court room debate over the issues we have been discussing here for the last few weeks?
Trial by peers!hummmmmmmmmmmmm can you amagine being selected to be on a jury of a fifteen year old? Selection will be lengthly!

They keep saying that the current P2P apps aren't legitimate. Yes they are. Don't they get that? When the RIAA finally gets smart and makes their own, will they allow files that are "legally" shared on these networks? I think not. You'll only have a choice from THEIR products. We still need our current networks because how else will we get the files that are only on these networks and nowhere else in the world?

compmore- I wrote up a summary of the shows, so, if the site puts it up as a news article, then it will give lots more info on the show.
Replays of the program are scheduled for at 6 p.m., and Monday 9/15 at 1 p.m. Eastern. To be sure, check local times for listings.
~code

thanks I'll watch.

actually, i think that 6 pm time was not for the reply, but the broadcast,
but the Monday at 1 pm (Eastern) should be a replay, don't know if they will just replay the Music Wars pretaped show, or the entire thing with the OPEN MIKE (which was the really interesting part, and which had site owner, Bill Evans on it)
~code

The riaa has lost: they just don't know it (or they just WON'T ADMIT IT [this is the better guess]).

Why?

The Internet, Watson.

The "bad press" they're getting (especially from sites like this), word of mouth, and email to email to email, etc., etc., etc........THIS is their DOWNFALL -- TIME is their enemy, their MONEY BLEED won't go away, AND IT'S GETTING WORSE EVERY DAY FOR THEM!

They lose because they are hit where it counts -- THEIR FALLING PROFITS!!!

The riaa -- what a bunch of maroons!!!

Hang tough, y'all; the ride be wild, but the end be quick.

AND...check out Indie music! argh...

A jury of peers is exactly what the RIAA needs -- we could find 12 screwed over former rock stars in about five minutes on the streets of Nashville, LA or New York.

George,

You got that right! Of course, they are getting BLISTERED right now in the court of world opinion by the jury of everyday folks!

Sue your customers!!! What a bunch of freakin' maroons! They sure don't understand business...

BTW, glad you're back on...you got the Right Stuff!

“The music business is a cruel and shallow money trench, a long plastic hallway where thieves and pimps run free, and good men die like dogs. There’s also a negative side.”-Hunter S. Thomson


RIAA? Rodents In Army Attire?

RIAA? Rats In Arrears Association?

"The objective here is to create an environment where legitimate online services can grow and thrive."

I thought the RIAA's objective was to get the music listener to use the online services only to be cheated and swindled over and over again.

Jeremy Welt, said over and over how they had almost all the artist on his site. I check it out only 20 are listed.
So I sent him a letter asking where are the artist you said you had. Have you hid them. I can't find them Please help me where are the artist you kept saying you had Please let me know.

hahahaha No answer yet. And I'm sure there won't be one.

please start file sharing again. a lot of people are still downloading but very few are file sharing. it is riaa's stated plan to dry up those who share and kill p2p's. don't let it happen. share the indie songs if nothing else. but don't just be a leach. you will kill the freedom of file sharing.

GOOD NEWS> A local Tower records were I live is SHUT DOWN! I guess we win one more in the Boycott. To the RIAA, you better look out, you are losing money every day because you pissed on your customers ! You should take business 101 and figure it out you retards..

We are winning the war. Earlier this year, poor results led Best Buy Co. to sell its music retail subsidiary, Musicland, to Sun Capital Partners for the assumption of liabilities. Also Tower Records posted a $79.1 million loss. And Trans World filed for Chapter 11 protection in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in January. Looks like our Boycott is really working.

CosmicShimmer, that quote from Hunter S. Thompson is fantastic! It's funny that he used to be one of Rolling Stone's biggest writers. Of course this was back when the magazine still had a modicum of integrity. My how times have changed....for the worse....

And after the RIAA is gone ...

"While we're all getting sued to kingdom come by the RIAA, our neighbors to the north are sitting pretty. Why? Because in Canada, private copying of music is legal."

http://web.morons.org/article.jsp?sectionid=8&id=3936

Xylem-Thanks!
Wish I wrote it..lol

yes, im going 2 b careful, but not stop all 2gether.

From what I'm reading, their head is in the cross thread of the sniper scope. Draken: I like the idea you have. To enhance it further, you could even have a few computers setup with MP3s on them that people could burn, burn a collection they want and pay the $.75 a song, make their own compelation, burn it to a CD and check it out like you would normally do with a record.

Reminds me of that famous Warner Bros cartoon with Bugs and Elmer: "The wabbit kicked the bucket...the wabbit kicked the bucket...the bucket kicked the wabbit..." I will sing that out on my front porch when the RIAA finally fades into the likes of Nazi Germany and the Wicket Witch of the West...

That Jeremy Welt character just REALLY annoyed me. He reminded me of every middle management cat you saw in the high tech companies in the mid 90s. And, he was too chicken to say, "Yeah, we're suing ya, and we'll continue suing the heck out of ya until we get every last penny from your piggy bank we can." The thing is, the RIAA was too chicken to show up, and their representatives from the labels, were to chicken to show the readl a$$holes they are. If you support what the RIAA is doing, have the cajones on national tv to say so. Welt just looked like an arrogant pompous fool that has neither the brains to think this situation and its implications through, nor the huevos to speak out and say what he really thinks!
(sorry for the spanish terms, but they mean what you think they do from the context :0) )
~code

CodeWarrior

I wanted to slap his face. Somebody should have put a big piece of tape on his mouth. If I had been their I would have tried. He wanted to control every bit of what was said. That's why I sent him the e-mail telling him he didn't have any singers. I gave him a whole big list of singers names I didn't see on there. Still no answer from him. Guess old Jeremy Welt got caught lying.

It's nice that a lot of people are offering the recording industry an olive branch by suggesting ways that fee-based download services could be made acceptable, but I'm starting to think it's too late even for that. Free exchange of digital content simply cannot be stopped by anyone. Eventually, the RIAA will be put out of business or greatly scaled back. Some musicians, songwriters, publishers, etc., will be hurt as well. Some may benefit. It's unfortunate that some artists may lose income but I don't think anything can be done at this point. It has just become too easy to exchange digital content. I don't see any way it can be stopped. For better or worse, it's a new age. Eventually, intellectual property law will have to be re-written or discarded.

The only possible way out that I can see would be for the music industry to offer downloads at extremely low price, say, less than 1 cent per song. Then the difference between free and pay services becomes so minimal that there'd be no point in risking a lawsuit by using free P2P. It could actually work because there are millions of people each downloading dozens of songs everyday. The revenue would be sufficient even at very low prices but I doubt the music industry would ever go for it. So, they lose everything.

NOTICE TO THE RIAA (whi am I sure monitors this site!)

I AM OFFICIALLY RESUMING DOWNLOADING!!!

Your scare tactics have not worked!!!!!!

If you want to download music with little risk of lawsuit, simply move files out of your shared folder immediately after download. Files will always be available worldwide anyway, we don't have to get them from servers in the U.S.! There's no need for guilt over lack of sharing in this situation. The RIAA is targeting Americans, now we will target the RIAA. Downloading will continue forever, and cd sales will continue to plummet. RIAA, be careful what you ask for, because you just might get it.

to celticgwen and grilldoggy
i don't think you get it the concept of file sharing. it means you download and UPload by file SHARING, otherwise you are a leach. just thought i would let you know.

As long as the rest of the world (who make up the majority of P2P users) continue to share files without fear of lawsuits, it doesn't really matter whether people in the U.S. share or not. There will be plenty of files available.

As an alternative, I use Soulseek which not only has a good selection of old and rare files, but allows the option of sharing with users you that you select and add to your user list. That way you can control who uploads from you. I meet people in the "rooms" who have similar musical tastes as me. We share with each other. It's a kind of semi-private network. This way I can share (with a restricted list of users that I choose) with very little risk of being caught by the RIAA.

RIAA is making me mad, and I'm laughing all the time because they're never going to stop filesharing -they'll have to sue the whole world to do that, and that's not going to happen! ^^ Not to mention that my music is all Japanese anime and game music that hasn't been licensed by the RIAA, so it's not in their right to sue me even if they came across my list. If I get sued for downloading Chrono Cross or Final Fantasy Tactics (or Xenogears vocal music), I'm going to tell them, "That's not within your jurisdiction. I checked and did my research - you have no case on me." As for their drop in CD sales, that's because a lot of their music quite frankly, sucks. I'm not interested in 'I'm a whore' Britney Spears or American boy bands because there's too much posing and lip synching to make them good.

RIAA's not getting my money as well. I recently bought more anime and game soundtracks from Right Stuf and AnimeTrax (online anime stores) from a comic book shop than I have their music in the past two years. Right now, I'm awaiting two anime soundtracks that I bought, and guess how I discovered that I liked the music - I downloaded the anime series, loved the music, and downloaded the music. When the CDs got licensed, I bought them. If only RIAA will pull their heads out of their asses, and notice this trend...most of us aren't like the Hong Kong bootleggers like they're making us out to be.

Unfortunately, this means denying Howard Shore's next Lord of the Rings soundtrack. It's Time Warner... >_< Oh well...

Remeber guys, no downloads or purchases
from the RIAA, this is a boycott.

Hi folks:

Just got back from MediaPlay where I was book shopping, and noticed that NOBODY was buying CD's. The store manager told me that since the RIAA started their sue-em-all campaign, his sales of CD's had dropped to nearly nil. Ye olde RIAA can gild the lily all they want to, but CD sales have gone thru the floor straight to hell. Keep the boycott on people. We're kicking their ass.

Quote: There is only one boss and that is the customer. And he can fire any of us from the CEO on down simply by taking his business elsewhere.

Sam Walton

The RIAA might do itself a favor by creating a LEGAL service, of which i see not happening, atleast till Napster 2 comes out, and then we'll have to see. It will probably not be anywhere near as popular as Napster or kazaa.

Do you think they are going to reimburse all the stores for the money they lose during this boycott? Nahhhh, I did not think so. They were probably too busy to attend the TechTv show what with whipping up thousands of lawsuits and preparing to move into the colleges.
That is like letting a vampire into a blood bank. You will never be able to stake it then. By the way, valenti and sherman will be attending the EDUCAUSE Convention on Nov. 4-7 in Anaheim, CA.

{{compmore Date: September 13, 2003 @ 12:59 PM
One question that's been bothering me through all this. If downloading music that has been legally purchased and listen too is illegal why isn't purchasing or recieving used CD's?? neither activity pays the RIAA any money I'm aware of }}

Actually, there was an article (on this site I think) that said some of the RIAA suits were considering charging stores a resale tax of some other bull. I don't remember exactly how it went, but yes, they know they lose money there, and are probably thinking of ways to stop that too.

The RIAA are clueless:
Really Into Absolute Abnegation

And I thought the boycott included NO file sharing? It makes sense. If nobody's sharing, and CD sales slump anyway, then really, who can the RIAA blame?

Nice to hear that many people are avoiding cd purchases, as mentioned by oldster. There was a MediaPlay in my area that appears to have shut down recently, and your statement got me wondering whether customer backlash from the sue 'em all campaign had anything to do with it. I think it's kind of a shame some people might lose jobs from cd-heavy stores shutting down, but all wars have collateral damage. I'm sure as hell not going to give those RIAA fossils any of my cash. I just hope the local Circuit City doesn't shut down any time soon, cuz they have much friendlier return policies than Best Buy.

In other news, the EFF petition is now over 20,000! (i would link, but my html isn't that good ) This is great! Can you imagine 20,000 people fed up with your antics, you bloodsucking, bribing, two-faced slimeballs? Can you imagine those 20,000 people spreading the word about your terrible behavior? I always liked geometric progressions. Keep fighting the good fight everyone!

"If we do not hang together, we shall surely hang separately."

Does this make alot of sense??? Sue file sharers take any extra money they might use in the future to buy cd's with after they heard some music they liked on Kazza or another p2p site and chose to BUY the big 5's cd and in the same process piss off alot of music fans who know boycott their porduct??? And they wonder why their not making the MONEY they use too just a few short years ago?????? Earth to the RIAA!!!!

CodeWarrior - If you give me a copy of what you wrote about the show, I will post it on my site.Peace!

Joe_momma74@hotmail.com

I fel bad for all the music stores that will be put out of business,.But i dont feel bad for the RIAA.

I live in Canada and since they wont be going after canadians i guess that its safe to share away.

2000+ illegaly downloaded songs going up for grabs soon!

just so everyone is aware a new phoenix company SunnComm Technology sells anti- piracy software just got a contract to make copy-management Technology available to BMG,the music division of Bertelsmann AG. It lets BMG,owner of labels as arista Records and RCA records control the number of times a compact disc is copied while preventing songs from being E-mailed or swapped on file sharing services. the makers of the records will decide how many times a perticular CD can be copied say maybe three to six times and the CD's will be encoded accordingly the first singersong writer from arista Anthony Hamilton Due out Sept.23.
So as I was saying as far back as six months ago they were going to do this and more including CD's that erase themselves after they have been tried to be copied on . pass this on Cd music is gonna be junk now not just filler crap.

CD's that erase themselves? That's just great! We don't have enough junk stuffing our landfills right now. On the bright side, self-erasing CD's would markedly increase the quality several bands' music. Just another thing that makes me glad I decided to stop buying RIAA cd's. No thanks, I'd rather do business with a company that has some respect for its customers.

i wrote a letter to my representative about the digital right to know act...looks like the riaa got to him before i did.

I have never admitted it up til now, but as I type this I am uploading five files. What those files are as far as I know are not RIAA,. but if they are oh well. I don't care anymore.

Just so everyone knows Sony has announced that they are looking to unvail in the spring their very own online music service, aren't they apart of the RIAA Hmmmmm I thought sowhile they are suing people they are trying to finance that for a service. so sick make me want to puke it's not enough they helped to create this mess with their heads in their A##'s they couln't work it out with napster,or any of the other services they want it all to their selves and sue their customers too

I'm totally against these stupid tactics as well. It's disgusting that they "made an example" of a twelve-year old little girl, especially someone for whom money obviously wasn't lying around. I was wondering, though, are they taking action against those who're trading only music and movies, or also uploading/downloading tv shows? And how much risk is there if you're downloading some but sharing none or very little?

This is good, Brothers and Sisters in the struggle to end the Facist tyranny of the RIAA.

The draconian denizens of the dim and dismal, RIAA catacombs, (where their true, dark Masters are said to lurk like pasty Morlocks) seem to have forgotten about two VERY important words in their own handbook: promotion and PR, (Public Relations).

At this stage they are promoting rampant litigation and intimidation while turning what's left of their public relations into something as desirable as a bad case of genital herpes. Can you imagine how many SMART business people are blushing and/or laughing as they watch this nightmare cum carnival?

So, we can thank them for a new potential addition to Roget's Thesaurus: RIAA Syn. bad, foul, evil, litigation, insanity, greed, archaic, old-fashioned, cruel, insensate, child abuse, sharks, advantage taking, Feudal Lords, Musician Rakers, stubborn, morlocks ... its a rather long entry, so forgive me if I don't continue it.

We see some good impact of this rather successful boycott so far. Be proud of that! Sure, some of you have slipped, and bought that album or two, but you felt real bad about that, didn't you? I am sure it won't happen again and you will be sure that what you are buying is not, at all, related to Dark Klan of horned, RIAA brown shirts, next time.

Ah, but don't rest easy! This has to be a long, and relentless, struggle, oh me brother's and sister's of the Music. If we let them retreat into their subterranean lair, to feast on 12-year old hearts, and rally on Granpa's pensoin, then they will only regroup and resurface with yet another round of grim folly and insatiable hunger to stab consumers with subpoena's ... and who know's what else.

So, let us, here in the US proclaim a new, and boycott-joyus, Holiday event! NixRIAA Xmas, NixRIAAChanukah! ... or whatever your Holiday tradition is. The diah-RIAA gang are going to probably hope that the Holiday shopping frenzy will be a thorn in our side so they can spit numbers like forked tounges from their deceptive mouthes. Well, not if we can help it ... ho, ho, (RIAA is a) HO!

This Holiday Season, don't buy your favorite music lover any RIAA-connected music. In fact, if they ask for it, (or even if they don't) be sure to give them a nice card with a note telling them why it would be so counter to the true meaning of gift giving, and the Season. A NixRIAA gift will be much warmer and brigther for all, and for the future.

In fact, I hope the site here, (doing a great job folks) will consider gearing up for a VERY strong push of this growing BOYCOTT so that the Holidays will be a combo of Custer's Last Stand, and Waterloo for the RIAA Gang. Maybe offer some pre-printed cards for various Winter Holidays ... and don't forget the Solstice for Pagans .. etc.

Every dollar they don't get from now on, is all the ammunition a boycott needs. This will be our present to the RIAA. You should try to remember and really enjoy that fact! Everyone can save money AND feel good about it not going to them. Hey, I get the feeling some indie bands will even have a good Holiday this way.

How far we will go is the question ... maybe when some labels decide to pull out from that puss-laden org? Maybe, just maybe, we can then offer some amnesty? I would cerainly think that the first record label to publically, (and honestly) reliquish its membership in the RIAA is potentially going to get better sales. In fact, I would suggest we all try to reverse-boycott, and consider buying some albums from honest, sincere defectors.

We are good people, so, heck, maybe we will consider amnesty someday, that is if the RIAA a white flag if it is really clean, and they make enough consolations. Should we have them sign a notarized document pubically? "We promise not to be bozo-headed, litigation-crazed, persecutors of our huge customer base, ever again? ... etc. , etc."

Or we may just keep on until they disband that shameful mockery of the music. Time will tell. They should be aware though , that if, and when, they disband it, a new name is not going to change our POV on the policies. The BOYCOTT will be ever-ready to rekindle and flare up like a campfire with gasoline.

Viva la RIAA-BOYCOTT!

download! upload! share! get the music out there, just don't do anything with RIAA music, i have some rare hard to find indie stuff i'm offering up, as i sort it's becoming quite a list of stuff! would be so nice if i could afford to setup an OC12 line, make a HUGE server, and offer free hosting for all indie artists, would host all their music and forums and CD sales...but thats nothing more then a pipe dream cause i'm not rich and could never afford to do that

It makes me proud to see all the new posters.. this site is growing exponentailly (sp?)
Gwen.. I support you downloading.. do it, girl. but people, we need to remember that just because we are BEGINNING to see results, it is no time to stop BOYCOTTING. The Riaa is a big industry. Downlading, per se, has NEVER been illegal.. just stop buying Riaa Products. Buy used CD's if you gotta.. or, look at this site.. lots of good indie music, and radio to check it out to boot.. THAT is the message that these goons are scared of, not downloading, which is their errant, scapegoat excuse. Then get off the computer couch and go register to vote. That is the second, important, step. Do it now. You have, if you are an eligible US citizen, until thirty days before the next national elections. That gives you a little over two more weeks. Don't delay. If the posters did that, it would scare the pants off the senators who voted for this legisalative garbage in the first place.. number their days. Get out and vote.

BOYCOTT. EDUCATE. REGISTER. VOTE.
ARE YOU REGISTERED AND READY?

Jeremy Welt is one of the biggest weenies I've ever seen. He kept going back to "the artists" and "the money".. didn't want to talk about the lawsuits, or the legality/illegality of what's going on. About halfway thru the show, I turned to my wife and said "he's gonna get fired cuz he SUCKS".
The riaa declined to show up. Wonder why? Maybe it's cuz they KNEW it was a situation they couldn't control. Just watching w/o them there was a hoot! They would have been with Jeremy WussWelts about trying to steer the convo away from the lawsuits to the money. One good point (out of many LOL) was made. A girl asked how downloading is any different from taping over the radio! The guy from EMI (Tod? Ted?) said that it was different quality, then the EFF said "so you're saying that low quality is legal, but high quality isn't?" Shoulda hear the crowd laugh about THAT one!
BILL!! I SAW YA!! DIDJA SEE ME? I was the one waving my boycott coffee mug and wearing my "substantial non-infringing user" t-shirt. Oh.. guess not, I was in my living room *smirk*.
I actually enjoyed the shows. My wife isn't all that up on this, it's not her cup o' tea, but she watched, and now is going to look into it with me. Yet another successful case of the (truthful)media actually helping the cause.
ttmmm

whoah. Never thought about boycotting the RIAA in the sense that they control the large part of the music industry.. but I'll go for it too =)
The UK branch has said that they will only use suing as a last resort..
rofl Fat chance they will seeing the outrage caused.. even if they do it will have little impact.
Anyone remember when they tried to put tracks on that made the copys when you ripped sound like shit?
Took all of 5 hours for someone to come up with software to get round that..
Keep it up.

Joe_momma74- you've got mail

Really Ingnorant Asshole Associates

Actually, noone needed to come up with software to copy protected CDs. Existing raw copiers can do it perfectly There were a few intresting variations on the idea, includeing one experimental disc which destroyed speakers if a copy was made, but was never used commercially.

Look RIAA! I'm downloading more songs just because you don't want me to!

In a way, the RIAA reminds me of the Nazi's towards the end of WW2, they didnt want to except the fact that they are losing....

soon we will all be attenting RIAA funeral.. and i'm gonna be first one to spit on their grave and laughing my @ss off at them. R.I.P.> RIAA

well, well, what a shame.

P2P use is up? How can this be? The lawsuit campaign was supposed to scare everyone away! Make them so frightened they'd even delete all the mp3s off of their computer!

The RIAA hasn't learned anything and it won't learn anything until it changes its attitude. You have to embrace change, not fight it. It will happen anyway- with or without you. If I were the labels, I'd choose "with".

:-:~ PhantomGhost ~:-:

The RIAA is definitely shooting themselves in the foot. So you sue a couple thousand people of kazza. Big deal. Every week new p2p program is out. Plus there are ones like mirc that have been around forever....way before Napster was ever on the scene. Instead of fighting us...they need to adapt to the new surrondings and create a plan. Suing people will accomplish nothing. Maybe the music companies should create there own line of recordable cd's, jewel cases, or burners. I, for one hope cd sales continue to plummet......hell even @ the first week release price of $9.98 they are still too expensive. And when you shell out $20.00 for that new Outkast double cd and find out how much it sucks ass...You'll download them for free too!!!!!

Some random thoughts from a first-time poster follow.

RIAA, bend over and grab your ankles, because I think the American public is waking up and realizing what and who you really stand for, and pretty soon you're gonna feel a splintered two-by-four getting shoved up your collective asses without the luxury of Vaseline. (What, you mean it hurts? Oh, c'mon, it can't hurt as much as the emotional distress you caused a 12-year-old girl and a 71-year-old grandfather. What a bunch of fucking bastards you are...)

CDs that destroy themselves? I thought they came out with those back in the 80's...you know, the ones that were made on the cheap, where the silver stuff flakes off after about 15 years for no apparent reason.

Does anyone recall when the computer industry went nuts with copy protection on floppy disks? A cottage industry sprung up almost overnight, offering programs that removed or bypassed the copy protection. I see history repeating itself with CDs...except that the solution to the problem doesn't even involve software:

1) Place CD into Discman.
2) Attach patch cable from Discman to sound card line input.
3) Capture music on PC.
4) Share as appropriate.

I've never met anyone who could tell the difference, and if you can, you've got really good ears. Since I'm now boycotting the Really Incredibly Arrogant Assholes, I'll probably never have to worry about doing things this way, but knowledge is power, and we all need more power. (Amen, Tim Taylor and "Tool Time"...MORE POWER!)

I heard a report on NPR late last week (I believe it was on "All Things Considered") about the lawsuits, and was surprised there was no mention of this site. I've e-mailed them to let them know they should read the posts here, but so far, no response. The report seemed, IMHO, a bit on the pro-RIAA side. Any thoughts?

Anyway, for a first post, this was a bit long, so my apologies. This is a great site with some really thought-provoking comments, and I hope to add my 1.9 cents worth now and then. Keep the boycott going, everyone, and remember:

"Money talks and bullshit walks."

- Patch

Rename your p2p program something really obscure and do the same with ypor Shared folder. Use Kazaalite's ability to remain anonymous. Use Earthstation mainstream when it gets more support just keep it on for the meantime.

Why $2000? Was this enough to cover all of their costs with lawyers going at about $250 or more an hour?

Was it just to send a message?

Is that all this little girl had in her piggy bank and from the savings bond Grandma gave her for her birthdays?

Good Job RIAA, you did a great job... About only a few months ago i sympathised with you (a little).. now, like millions of others i completely despise you... Thanks for turning this consumer who used to buy about 20 cd's a year into a boycotter...

Now can the RIAA die? You all do realise that if the first amendment holds true to anything, stuff like this would be up to the people to decide and the RIAA would not be able to exist!

They are striking us where it hurts the most. Multi-millionnaire executives are targeting the average American who earns no more than $20-$50,000/year. And for those of you who follow current events, they are charging $750-$150,000 per song. (Forgive me if my numbers are off by a few thousand.) But, according to recent trends, they have been kind enough to settle at a far lesser amount, somewhere between $2,000-$15,000 per lawsuit. They have been KIND or LENIENT enough to settle less. Please bear in mind that they initiated this war because these executives, two years ago, were earning $2-$5 million per year. And now, they are complaining because their portfolio reflects somewhere between $1-$2 million per year. (Please stay tuned for my next series of arguments to clarify why CD sales and their incomes have slumped over the last 5 years. AND IT'S NOT JUST BECAUSE OF P2P.) Meanwhile, also bear in mind that artists only earn less than 50% of the royalty while the other half sails right into the pockets of the shareholders and the executives. So, keeping all of those points in mind, I strongly urge the 60 million file-sharing Americans out there to retaliate and strike them where it hurts the most: their pockets (and not just the center pocket between their legs! ). If you are somewhat terrified of incurring a lawsuit for your family though file-sharing, do not be dismayed or discouraged. You can still fight the fight. Since they are after our money, we shall, in essence, pursue their money. SIMPLY BUY FAR FEWER CD'S AND TAPES EVERY MONTH. I encourage all of you to buy a CD or a tape and then burn a copy of that CD to any friend who wishes for a copy or for a specific song. Each CD-R costs less than 10 cents. So, if 1 person can buy a CD and make a copy for 20 or more friends, while the other 20 do the same, we can reduce the net share value for these record labels, and hence their income, by a factor of 20 for each album or CD. And believe me, enforcing copyright protection for sharing CD copies with friends (the original form of P2P file-sharing) is not only physically impractical and financially uneconomical but also nearly impossible. And if some of the CD's are copy-protected, simply make a copy onto an audiocassette. Please do not complain that tapes are outdated or their sound quality is far inferior to that of a CD. Of course, tapes can never match the sound quality of a CD. But they come very, very close. Tapes are still far superior to CD's in many respects, like when they don't skip. Today's tapes can hold 120 minutes of music. If an average song is 5 minutes long, then we have 24 songs per tape, far larger than a music CD. Just visit your neighborhood Wal-Mart and buy yourself a Sony or a Panasonic CD-quality 120-minute audiocassette. Desperate times call for desperate measures. We have to make some sacrifices in this war against the record labels. And believe me, with this strategy, we will strike them where it hurts the most. It's time for all of us to fight back.

no! i got a great idea! let them sue you, make sure you get in the media, all sad and broken, then sue them for defamation of character and emotional stress

and thanks for the www.iespell.com link!

Just want to thank everyone on this site for all the useful info.feels good to be part of this. Thanks!!Keep up the good work.

emanresu69

use VHS hi-fi stereo instead. Record your copyprotected CD's to Hi-Fi VHS, then rip an mp3 from the tape. VHS H-Fi has fidelity approaching CD and far exceeding the cassette tape. Each tape can hold 6 hours of music. There will be no loss of sound quality

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