Spring Break
Music group settles 52 user lawsuits
By: Ted Bridis
Issue date: 9/30/03 Section: News
''It's a small enough number that it doesn't make economic sense to hire an attorney to litigate these,'' Ballard said.
The RIAA also said 863 people have requested amnesty from future lawsuits, in exchange for a formal admission they illegally shared music and a pledge to delete the songs off their computers. The offer does not apply to people who already are targets of legal action.
''I'm not surprised that ... people have been intimidated into signing this,'' said Ballard, who noted there are roughly 62 million Americans who participate in file-sharing networks. He called those seeking amnesty a small ratio of total users.
Some defense lawyers have objected to the amnesty provisions, warning that song publishers and other organizations not represented by the RIAA won't be constrained by the group's promise not to sue. Similarly, people who settled their lawsuits with the RIAA conceivably still could be sued by others for infringement.
The RIAA has promised that hundreds or even thousands more lawsuits will be filed, with the next round coming as early as October. It has continued issuing hundreds of copyright subpoenas through U.S. court clerks' offices nationwide to compel Internet providers to identify subscribers suspected of illegally distributing music online.
The announcement about settlements came one day before a Senate hearing to examine the industry's use of lawsuits and copyright subpoenas to identify Internet users accused of distributing music. Critics have argued that judges should be more involved in issuing the subpoenas, which are approved by clerks and are the subject of an ongoing federal appeals court fight over their constitutionality.
''This isn't a legal matter, this is a PR event,'' said Greg Bildson, the chief operating and technology officer for LimeWire, a popular file-sharing service.
Bildson complained there aren't enough checks involved in the subpoenas used by the music industry to identify Internet users. ''It's ridiculous the kind of power that they wield,'' he said.
LimeWire and other file-sharing companies have announced a new trade group, P2P United, to urge Congress to approve compulsory licenses for music files, which would force labels to offer songs on services for flat fees.
The RIAA also said 863 people have requested amnesty from future lawsuits, in exchange for a formal admission they illegally shared music and a pledge to delete the songs off their computers. The offer does not apply to people who already are targets of legal action.
''I'm not surprised that ... people have been intimidated into signing this,'' said Ballard, who noted there are roughly 62 million Americans who participate in file-sharing networks. He called those seeking amnesty a small ratio of total users.
Some defense lawyers have objected to the amnesty provisions, warning that song publishers and other organizations not represented by the RIAA won't be constrained by the group's promise not to sue. Similarly, people who settled their lawsuits with the RIAA conceivably still could be sued by others for infringement.
The RIAA has promised that hundreds or even thousands more lawsuits will be filed, with the next round coming as early as October. It has continued issuing hundreds of copyright subpoenas through U.S. court clerks' offices nationwide to compel Internet providers to identify subscribers suspected of illegally distributing music online.
The announcement about settlements came one day before a Senate hearing to examine the industry's use of lawsuits and copyright subpoenas to identify Internet users accused of distributing music. Critics have argued that judges should be more involved in issuing the subpoenas, which are approved by clerks and are the subject of an ongoing federal appeals court fight over their constitutionality.
''This isn't a legal matter, this is a PR event,'' said Greg Bildson, the chief operating and technology officer for LimeWire, a popular file-sharing service.
Bildson complained there aren't enough checks involved in the subpoenas used by the music industry to identify Internet users. ''It's ridiculous the kind of power that they wield,'' he said.
LimeWire and other file-sharing companies have announced a new trade group, P2P United, to urge Congress to approve compulsory licenses for music files, which would force labels to offer songs on services for flat fees.
Be sure to include your name, major, and class year. Submissions without this information are subject to deletion.
By submitting a comment, you agree to thebatt.com's Terms of Use.
You may also send a Mail Call to The Battalion at mailcall@thebatt.com