Well we all knew it was gonna happen sooner or later...

Only hundreds? oh boy I think they left a few other ppl out... hehe

Maybe but that will just be the main file sharers well most known ones anyway, many more than that going about theres no way they can stop everyone.

yes there is: complete goverment control of your life....

but that will never happen!

This is just the begining. Music, then Movies and then who knows.

Yes no more internet

all your base are belong to us

also seen something on neowin earlier about this
something about RIAA willing to drop charges if you own up and supply a picture of yourself and destroy all copies or whatever of any music.

RIAA considers amnesty for P2P users

Downloaders who admit they done wrong could be let off the hook

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is believed to be preparing an amnesty for users of peer-to-peer (P2P) sites, but it comes with tough conditions.

The RIAA refuses to comment on the plan, or even that is being drawn up, but vnunet.com understands it will apply to people who admit they illegally share music files across the internet.

Users will have to complete a notarised amnesty form that includes the following promises:


* To destroy any CDs they have created.
* To delete any music files from their PCs that the RIAA deems illegal.
* To never participate in illegal file sharing again.
* To include a photo of themselves.


News source: http://www.vnunet.com


It is believed that anyone who complies will be excluded from any future legal action by the RIAA.

But the decision will not apply to those already facing legal action, which could begin as early as next week, according to a report from Reuters.

The RIAA has admitted that it is unlikely to take to court all 1,600 people accused of illegally uploading music files from sites such as Kazaa and Morpheus.

But it has warned that those it does take to court will have to take their chances before the judge.

Meanwhile, others in the music industry are also adopting a less combative stance to P2P sites, following the decline in music sales.

Universal Music is cutting the wholesale price of many CDs in the US from $12.02 to $9.09.

It also plans to shelve advertising discounts and has dropped its recommended retail price to $12.98 from $18.98, hoping that retailers will be persuaded to drop the price to below $10.

Sony has also joined the growing market for services that allow consumers to download music legally, putting itself in direct competition with Apple and Microsoft.

The new service will be launched in Japan, with the US and Europe to follow next spring. Sony said that it will also ship a handheld device on to which the songs can be downloaded.

But thing is not everyone gets affected by this certain countries time will soon tell.

Big scare threat, sue all main people and RIAA makes all smaller ones scared, no more mp3's their plan anyway cant see all this sueing to work.

MP3s won't end....but perhaps property theft might...

The people who were sued were sharing thousands of files. We are not talking about casual users here. But the point is they were breaking the law. Its no different than ripping.

There is a difference, if I rip treetog's skin, I will get blasted by every community member in here, and lose any and all credability to my name and will probably be never welcomed in another skin community again. I will still have all my money though...

There is all but one solution to the problem here, and thats a new internet. The internet we use today was definately not meant to become what it has. The scientists that created it did so for business use, not for shopping/games/music. They never implemented many security features as the technology at the time was rather old. We have advanced in leaps and bounds since then and a new scalable, secure internet will solve a lot of these problems. Let's face it, Microsoft is really pushing DRM and that IS going to be the future. Just like they wanted Windows Media Player to become a market leader, it has. Just like Internet Explorer, just like XBox. If Microsoft want's it done...it will be done. So imagine DRM for ISPs. Where your connection has certain access to the interent...like they can block P2P apps from working through internet protocols or something, I dunno how it would work...but it might be something along those lines. That's the only possible solution to this. Sueing 1000's of people will only intimidate...not solve.

They are currently building the new Internet. They call it Internet2. You can read about here... http://www.internet2.edu/

I have an aquantence at my work who just purchased a 120 gig harddrive on e-bay for 120dollars..Now the drive was advertised as having full capacity of MP3s in folders seperated by genre and artist and album with all cd graphics and tray cards..Enough to make your own Home imitation CD....What the heck is that doing auctioned off on e-bay???and how is that even legal...When he recived the drive via Fed Ex it contained all as promised...I was dumbstruck by all the mp3s he got for a buck a gig....

Do you think the RIAA has any clue about stuff like that going on and what do they plan to do with someone who conducts a transaction of such caliber....I know when I load my cds into my computer I pretty much have all 200 plus of my cds at 192kbps on about 12 or so gigs..I couldnt even begin to fathom all the stuff this kid got for 120bucks...

Drop125...that would be because it's NOT legal......not everything on, or available on the net IS...

Yeah, I know that it is not legal..But if they can sell and advertise an hardrive with mp3s and its illeage...then wouldnt in effect e bay become nothing more than a "napster"..and if so doesnt e bay have a dedicated server...Therfore nthey should be shut down or at least reprimanded??? Like Napster..??? Im sure if Childporn or something equally as illeage were to be sold on ebay that is little more than changing the mediem that you attain the mp3s...Im just wondering, since I do not go to ebay..If these "hardrives" are regularly avail wouldnt the RIAA really want to raise a stink on this subject also...If I buy a computer used..and it just happens to have 30 gigs of mp3s on ebay...Whos to blame....Is their a law that says specifically you have to format and erase all data on a harddrive mbefore sale of said computer and Im taking into account the disclamer on software....however if you purchase it already on the computer you Actually never did agree to the disclamer..theirfore where does this fall in litigation..??? To many loopholes and trouble are coming over this and I feel really bad for all the parents of all the teenagers who pay for the highspeed connection and will be responsible for this mess...I wonder if a parent of a teen who did all the D/Ls is a super big lawer what kind of legal war will be waged on the industry and wasted time that could have been spent on "Real Criminals" like the mone who stole myn stereo and 50 count cd binderI no longer have those cds, but do I therfore lose the rights to own the copie I made as backup also...I have sevral cds that are copies because the original was stolen...Either from my car or my home..Whos to choose what is NOW actual Legal ownership..The thief who robbed me or Me because I have a copy of a cd I actually purchased.....Hmmm...This is something to think on....Because I have approxitmaly 60 cds I only have copies of because they were stolen from me..I never keep originals in my car anymore..But Cds always seem to disaper from my collection...It could potentially be really ugly all around....And in the end who will win????

"Real Criminals" like the mone who stole myn stereo and 50 count cd binderI no longer have those cds, but do I therfore lose the rights to own the copie I made as backup also...I have sevral cds that are copies because the original was stolen..



What I meant here is that now that the Theif who broke into my car..Does he actually have the legal right to my cd because he is in possesion of it????Since he has the original and I have the copy.I would then be the criminal even tho0ugh I paid for it....

But if they can sell and advertise an hardrive with mp3s and its illeage...then wouldnt in effect e bay become nothing more than a "napster"..and if so doesnt e bay have a dedicated server...Therfore nthey should be shut down or at least reprimanded??? Like Napster..???

Ebay usually stops things like this from what I've seen. I'm not sure how this auction got to it's end without being cancelled.

yeah, E-Bay wont even let you sell your own lung let alone someone elses protected stuff.

'real criminals' is like 'more pregnant'....doesn't exist....you either are, or you are not...

Eg....'pregnant' means 'full of'...and naturally you cannot be 'more full of'...it's an absolute....

like when I say someone is full of ..erm .. crap, I don't mean half full

Or....'pregnant with crap', perhaps...

But my ? is, If you buy 10 cds, make a single backup of each..SAomeone breaks into your house and steals the originals..Now all you have is the copy correct..So Now you are a crimminal also...That sounds like pretty shakeyground to me..as in Im in that catagory now..I paid for the rights to own that cd..the original was stolen, now the theif is tecnically the legal owner ..provided he never gets caught...or there is suffecient proof to prosocute him....also did you know that every record shop that sells and buys USED cds never gives money to the original artist for said transactin....The artist only gets money when a new batch of cds is ordered by Oh lets say Sam Goodys or tower..Wouldnt that also be stealing from the music industry also????I know of instances where kids who dont have alot of money go and buy used cds then copy and return thecd to get another used cd....now arent in effect used record stores now becoming a "NAPSTER" of sorts.....Since you can go get for a small fee a cd copy it and bring it back..this facilitates file sharing Just the internet is not used to get said music...The cost of the used cd plus the return of it is maybe 3 dollars per cd....now all you are doing is eliminating your monthly High speed bill of 50dollars....Now lets chew on that one....

The 'rights' of the artist are 'sold' within the purchase of the Original CD....the local rights of 'fair use' pertain to the copying of that CD for purpose of backup....when the original is stolen, so too is stolen your rights to the backup.

I say 'local rights' as 'fair use' is encompassed within US Copyright/s but not, for example in Australian Law.

Purchase of second hand 'originals' is the same as giving a CD as a present to a third party.....the first purchase is where the royalties are 'included'.  Subsequent transactions don't attract royalty.

The burnt copy is specifically personal use for the purchased copy holder....the latter is stolen then the former becomes intrinsically illegal to continue to hold...

Dude give it up to Jafo!!!!!, it sucks but you are right..The problem will lay in who will feel more questionably right or wrong..If they ever came to me to prosocute on burnt copies of cds I had purchased I would tell them to bite me...But I Know I purchased them therfore i FEEL ITS MY RIGHT TO HAVE A COPY...However if you totalled up all the cds taken from me by ex girlfriends and other people my cd collection would be about a thousand if not more..I have a Vynil collection of over 2000 plus records, and for some reason no one wants to steal them..even though I purchase 'New Realese records"...I have turntables and a mixer..So 12inches is my perfered medium anyways...But no one ever takes my records..My whole house could up and be emptied and they would probably leave the records..They have before in the past....

I would use orginials as backup and use the copies. That way, if the copies got stolen it's still illegal for thief, not that he or she cares.

'vinyl'....