SCI/TECH: RIAA Begins New Round of Lawsuits

After recent conflicting reports that online file-swapping was either up or down, the Recording Industry Association of America launched round two of their bout against music piracy today. Things are a little different this time around, though.

The RIAA's legal tirade against file sharers, including grandparents and children, hit a snag recently when a federal appeals court ruled that the group could not force internet providers to release the names of suspected sharers with the DMCA.

To counter, the RIAA today filed "John Doe" lawsuits, 532 of them to be exact, in DC and New York. The defendants are only identified by their IP address in the lawsuits. Once filed, the RIAA may then issue a separate subpoena based on the IP addresses to attempt to find the identity of the people who don't know they're being sued yet.

This new tactic will mean a longer and more intensive legal process; the increased cost to the RIAA will be passed along to anyone sucessfully sued in higher settlement amounts. Previous settlements reached under the DMCA subpoena process averaged $3000.

The John Doe lawsuit claims that the defendants are sharing greater than 800 songs each. Fines for copyright infringement can be as large as $150,000 per song.

BBC

From my cold dead iPod.

What gets me is the RIAA has no qualms with clogging the court system with their crud, surely it has to impede the process of actual court cases about important things such as rape, murder, etc. It seems the have started a sort of Denail of Service upon the court system, and somebody with legislative power (who isint in the RIAA's pocket yet ) needs to somehow limit the number of charges they can lodge into play at once, if only for the sake of court workers who no doubt are up to the ears with paperwork.

i agree with you there alternateheaven. Once again there being stupid attacking there money base. Just do liek apple did and come up with some kool type of way to legally purchase music.... like iTunes. I mean i barely ever downlowd a song for free because its alot easier on iTunes and its at a great quality. The only time i "illegally" download a song is when i cant find it on iTunes