The recording industry is employing a familiar technique in its effort to curb illegal file sharing, but unlike the instant messages sent by your friends, those from the RIAA don't end with a smiley-faced emoticon.


On Tuesday the Recording Industry Association of America, along with two other music organizations, employed the instant messaging function of certain peer-to-peer networks to send notes to those they suspect of infringing on their copyrights. The unexpected IM warns users that trading copyrighted songs is illegal and hurts songwriters and musicians. The message also says that by running file-sharing software, users might expose their computer and private files to the world, and it suggests uninstalling the software.



"The music industry's instant message campaign is designed to inform people that distributing or downloading copyrighted music on peer-to-peer networks is illegal; that they are not anonymous when they do it; and that they risk legal penalties if they engage in this illegal activity," RIAA President Cary Sherman said in a statement.

The initiative, which also involves the American Federation of Musicians and the Christian Music Trade Association and Gospel Music Association, comes less than a week after a federal judge determined that peer-to-peer file-sharing networks Morpheus and Grokster were themselves legal, although some of their users did unlawful things with the technology (see "Morpheus, Grokster Are A-OK, Judge Says").

"Many users of systems like Kazaa and Grokster may be under the mistaken impression that anything they do on these systems is now legal," Sherman's statement continued. "In fact, every court decision regarding peer-to-peer networks has confirmed that distributing or downloading copyrighted music without permission of the copyright owner is illegal."

Here is the music industry's instant message warning it its entirety:
"[color=#000CC:d12340c2f4]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.ne...eoff.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."

—Joe D'Angelo (MTV.com)


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There are two point of this article that stand out for me and bug me...

Notice the religious undertones and support of these things the RIAA is doing...makes you wonder.

Why would specifically, religious music organizations, be involved so heavily in this? It's almost if it's part of a bigger morality thing the country is going through. Saving the country from it "going down the drain" type thing. I know, their MUSIC organizations, but I suspect their may be some other motivations. Smells fishy, but in this case with a slight tinge of candle wax mixed in.

It's like these organizations are slapping you on the wrist and filling you up with abusive quilt trips. Like the music consumer is child.

They're basically telling how to think. How to feel. How you should be morally based. Whether good or bad. It's their way.

The second point is that in the RIAA's "instant message", notice how they left out the "other" people who bring you music...

"[color=#000CC:d12340c2f4]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."

Hmm. Sure the first thing they name are the "artists", the "songwriters" the "musicians", the "music publishers", THEN they, in a hierarchy of sorts put themselves, the record labels and "hundreds of thousands or people who work at creating and distributing music YOU enjoy".

Why not specify the rest?

Tell us the other hundreds of thousands are the marketing people, the accountants, the suits, the CEO's, the regional vice president of music marketing, the secretary of artist development, the director of finance and accounts recievables, the graphic designers, the photographers, the cleaning people, the cheuffers who drive the ceo's and all the corprate ilk.

Hmmm. Why? Because the consumers really would care less about them, that's why. The SYMPATHY is played very carefully and very well by them.

You the music lover, well, you should love the artist! Rather than, YOU the music lover, you should love the director of regional sales-west coast urban music division.

Oh and I just wanted to add to this by saying that if you visit ANY artists rights website, don't just go to www.musicunited.net

visit:
The Recording Artists Coalition

http://www.recordingartis...ition.com/

To see the other side of the coin, which these days the media seems to have forgotten, for a balanced out critical analysis, if you will, of these "artists" issues.




oooo
[This message was edited Tue May 6 12:08:37 PDT 2003 by FlyingCloudPassenger]

Has anyone heard about recent RIAA/FBI raids on college campuses, or is this just a recently constructed urban legend created to scare the kiddies?