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Written by mikee
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Wednesday, 28 February 2007 19:19
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First there was Napster. The RIAA successfully litigated this once grand P2P network into oblivion. Although this MP3-perfect community was dismantled, the file-sharing community moved onto Gnutella, FastTrack, AudioGalaxy and eDonkey2000. As P2P networks became more decentralized, dismantling networks no longer became a viable option. From the RIAA's perspective, filing lawsuits against individuals was the only solution.
That was back in August of 2003. Almost four years later, the file-sharing population has continued to grow, while CD sales continue to fall. Digital music sales have grown since their introduction, yet have failed to make up for the loss in sales. As was the case during the glory days of Napster, college and university campuses remain one of the strongholds of free file-sharing, as students have grown tired of DRM (Digital Rights Management) encumbered alternatives offered by the music industry.
In a press conference call hosted today, RIAA Chairman and CEO Mitch Bainwol, President Cary Sherman, and General Counsel and Executive Vice President Steven Marks announced a new anti-piracy initiative which is aimed primarily at student downloaders, but will be made available to everyone. What is this new initiative?
Many people have become familiar with the mechanics of the RIAA lawsuit engine. One of the agents of the RIAA, such as Media Sentry, downloads a file from an unsuspecting file-sharer. A screenshot is made of the individual's shared directory, or several files are downloaded to ensure a viable case. The individual's IP address is then obtained. The RIAA then subpoenas the file-sharer's ISP requesting the personal information associated with that IP address when the alleged upload occurred. The RIAA then informs the unsuspecting file-sharer of an impending lawsuit, but also gives the option to settle. A typical settlement costs between $3,000 and $5,000 US. Read More here:
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