The Recording Industry Association of America filed lawsuits against 532 individuals it says are illegally distributing copyright music on peer-to-peer networks.
The lawsuits filed in New York and Washington D.C., employ the “John Doe” process, which is used to sue defendants whose names aren’t known. Defendants are identified by their numerical computer address, known as an “IP” or Internet Protocol address. Once a “John Doe” suit has been filed, record companies can subpoena the information necessary to identify the defendant by name.
“Our campaign against illegal file sharers is not missing a beat,” said Cary Sherman, President, RIAA. “The message to illegal file sharers should be as clear as ever - we can and will continue to bring lawsuits on a regular basis against those who illegally distribute copyrighted music.”
The Electronic Frontier Foundation said the John Doe lawsuits offer more due process and privacy protections than the automatic subpoenas the D.C. Circuit court rejected in the RIAA v. Verizon case.
“While it’s an improvement that the record industry now has to play by the same rules as everyone else who goes into court, they are still heading in the wrong direction,” noted EFF Legal Director Cindy Cohn. “The recording industry should be giving America’s millions of filesharers the same deal that radio stations have had for decades: pay a fair fee, play whatever you want on whatever software works best for you.”
The RIAA said they would continue to offer illegal file sharers an opportunity to settle.
(via Recording Industry Association of America)
1 response so far ↓
sera donna // Mar 14, 2005 at 12:10 pm
I am Madam sera donna from Darfur Region in Sudan writting you from cotonou
where we are now for safety as well as stranded, my late husband was the
head of operations in my country’s Diamond corporation for almost a decade
but unfortunately he died in the hands of the rebels with my two daughters
on that fateful sunday.
I believe i got your contact for reasonable commitment with God’sdirection.pls
i want to know if you can assist me & my only surviving son chris donna
in moving the sum of Forty Five millon USdollars,(US$45.Million).
Presently the fund is in the security trust company here in cotonou Republic
du Bčnin in West Africa where my late husband deposited it as FAMILY TREASURE
& ARFITARTS for security reasons.he did not declare the real contents as
fund. I & my son will like to know if you will assist us in moving this
fund to any country in Europe or America.
PLEASE NOTE THIS IS CONFIDENTIAL
l am not willing to transact with fellow africans here due to the loss of
my husband, and l am sure you are the only person who will assist me and
my son, we are ready also to assist you, so the money will be received by
you in Europe or USA.
This transaction can be done in approximately five days from today, If you
are willing to assist us,kindly send us your address,phone number so that
i will introduce you to our lawyer who is a signatory to the deposit who
will assist us with the process of claiming the consignment from the security
company where its been deposited.
All i need from you is honesty & for you to adhear to my advice towards
conclusion of the transaction as well as keeping it a top secret, we are
ready to offer you 30% as compensation while 10% will stand for the total
expensis which you might have accrued in the process which will be reimbursed
after the transaction, Please I await your urgent response..because I am
very sick & my son is still Junior so that you can as well help me in taking
care of things..
Thank you May God Bless You.
madam sera donna
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