We couldn't bid 2007 a proper farewell without one last bonehead move by our friends at the major labels. For some time now, it's largely been considered legal to rip electronic versions of music that you purchase, so long as they're for your own use. When you buy a CD, that music becomes your personal possession.
Desperate times, however, call for desperate shifts in litigation. According to The Washington Post, the RIAA has sent a letter to an Arizona-based music fan, accusing him of "illegally" transferring his CD collection to his hard drive. 
During the trial of Jammie Thomas, the Minnesota woman who was ordered by the court to pay $220,000 in damages for the 24 songs she was sharing online, Jennifer Pariser, Sony BMG's chief of litigation, testified, "When an individual makes a copy of a song for himself, I suppose we can say he stole a song." He added that when one makes that copy, it's "a nice way of saying 'steals just one copy.'"
While recent consumer wins with regards to technologies such as VCRs and DVRs may set a precedent on the matter of copying your own entertainment, the RIAA just wouldn't be the RIAA if it backed down. Jonathan Lamy, a spokesman for the organization, told The Post that it would continue to bring on the suits: "It's not our first choice, but it's a necessary part of the equation. There are consequences for breaking the law."
No comments:
Post a Comment