racoma.com.phJ. Angelo Racoma on technology, economics, writing, problogging, and getting things done

Finally, someone gets the courage to walk up to the big guy and fight.  The Journal News writes on how a single mother decided to take on record companies in the legal arena.

The RIAA (official site, wikipedia), the umbrella organization of American recording companies, is infamous for suing–or threatening to sue–individuals it accuses of illegally sharing copyrighted works.  And most simply decide to settle.

But what if the RIAA’s bases for suing are flawed, which I think
are?  Evidence would most likely be logs of file-sharing network
activity and accounts, and bandwidth provisioning (i.e. internet
connection).  But this can be easily spoofed, as easily as a stranger
parking across the street from your home, accessing your WiFi network,
and doing all sorts of illegal activity.

And this begs the question: Isn’t it possible for the RIAA’s suing
spree to be considered as a form of extortion?  After all, if most
people have indeed chosen to settle instead of battling it out in the
legal system, then this means there is no precedent of the RIAA proving
their claims in the legal courts.  And they can just randomly
come-a-knocking on my door with the threat of a lawsuit if I don’t pay
the hefty fine they had most likely arbitrarily computed for.

Problem is that they’re running after the parents, grannies, and kids
who probably don’t know any better than protecting themselves and their
systems while online. The RIAA should instead be running after the
hardcore pirates who make a killing mass-producing and selling
bootlegged warez and music.

So this is how big industry regards the consuming public? Now that’s scary.

(via DIGG)

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