RIAA makes last-minute bid for “dumbass of 2007″ award
Sometimes the RIAA reminds me of an unpopular child who grows up to become a minor official in something bureaucratic: now he’s got a little bit of power to abuse, he can wreak his terrible revenge by being really annoying and petty. The Washington Post reports:
In legal documents in its federal case against Jeffrey Howell, a Scottsdale, Ariz., man who kept a collection of about 2,000 music recordings on his personal computer, the industry maintains that it is illegal for someone who has legally purchased a CD to transfer that music into his computer.
And it is, technically (well, it is in the UK. Is it fair use in the US?). But actually trying to enforce it when piracy is rampant is just dumb.
4 Responses to “RIAA makes last-minute bid for “dumbass of 2007″ award”
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mupwangle on December 31st, 2007
According to engadget (http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/30/riaa-not-suing-over-cd-ripping-still-kinda-being-jerks-about-it/) the case is about illegal downloading.
Gary on December 31st, 2007
It is, yeah. They’ve thrown the CD thing in as a bonus.
Squander Two on December 31st, 2007
The problem with these idiots is they’ve grown so used to the power of lobbying that they’ve forgotten that they live in a democracy. It’s all very well insisting that the law be enforced, but where does that law come from? If you keep criminalising the law-abiding, how long before a majority demand a change in the law?
Gary on January 3rd, 2008
Mupwangle, you’re right, the legal stuff’s been misreported.