Is it possible to sell details of an IP address to the RIAA? If so, i'm set to make a fortune. I can confidently say that 192.168.0.1 and 10.0.0.1 downloaded music illegally. And some routable addresses did too, although I cant specifically say when. Where do I pick up my cheque?

Only fantasy, but would be nice to see a thuggery of RIAA execs handcuffed and jailed for a decade or so.

The number of cases that could be turned back on the RIAA as "malicious prosecution" of some sort must number in the hundreds, if not thousands. But most people either don't know their own power, or simply can't afford the money and time.

Thuggery - a collective noun.

I hope some pennies fall out for her

"When you fish with a net, you are going to catch a few dolphins."

Real charmers there.

Thank you for repeatedly abbreviating Association in this and other pieces about the **AAs. It warms my heart to read these, because your abbreviation hits the nail squarely on the head, and will eventually drive it through the collective genitalia of the **AAs.

Paris because everyone in civilization has heard about her exploits being downloaded.

The RIAA (and sister in crime MPAA) need be sued out of every single penny they own.

This article prove once again that the RIAA is a CRIMINAL CARTEL and it extremly dangerous and should be shutdown once and for all.

Artists don't need labels anymore and good know they don't need the RIAA.

As far as I can tell she has been more or less hinted by the judge in this matter that re-filing may be a good idea, and from the comments of the judge it could be deducted that she's not going to accept the RIAA creative lawyering that has gone on for too long. There is a vast gulf between law enforcement and scare tactics, and this case feels like a HUGE tactical error by the RIAA.

To paraphrase the RIAA, I guess that's the problem with a dragnet, occasionally you catch an orca..

This will be fun to watch. Get the popcorn!

I hope she sticks it to them, and sticks it to them good.

I hope she turns out to be a kraken...

Paris, because, well hell... someone complained in another comment about people's tenuous use of the piccy...

When I was a kid, the name RIAA was mostly heard in association with the phonograph playback curve. What happened? How did a respectable standards organization end up on the Greenpeace most wanted list?

Next time I buy a record, I want to see NO DOLPHINS WERE HARMED IN THE PRODUCTION OF THIS RECORD printed on the label.

Give 'em hell Tanya.

I hope the judge uses a formula for the damages similar to the one they use to make fines hurt for the public. The number has to be big enough to hurt the big 4 and have to be explained to their stockholders.

"When you fish with a net, you are going to catch a few dolphins."

Then...

_don't fish with a net, you morons!_

It just goes to show what absolute contempt the corpses* have for us. To imagine that this even remotely approaches a legitimate defense.... the horror, the horror.

* thanks to Peter Watts for the term.

You're gonna need a bigger boat.

that even the most power-hungry parabureaucrat would ring up a ten-year-old girl and pretend to be someone else.

Since the sex offenders' register is increasingly catch-all, how about putting the RIAA on it en masse?

Does this mean music will be free and downloading deemed legal?

No?

As has been said in previous stories, STOP using the dot after "Ass." because it actually looks like you're trying to shorten "association", instead of referring to a body part.

Thank you.

Its time the RIAA get a taste of their own medicine.

Really, someone needs to sit their executives down, and explain the facts of life to them. These guys must be very ignorant.

First, your customer base doesnt take kindly to base accusations and threats to sue. It isnt helping your already bad reputation, and lets face it, reputation is important.

Second, believe it or not, piracy is not the cause of your woes. No, its a symptom of your failing business model. When you figure out why customers are becoming disillusioned and not wanting to buy your music, you will figure out how to reduce piracy. People will find a way to pirate your music until you make it more attractive to buy. Right now, with your prices sky high and value at an all time low, no one has any incentive to buy from you. I know you are afraid of this "digital age" and would prefer it if people went back to tapes and LPs. But its the way of the world, you cant stop it. Your CD sales are falling because people are getting over having to pay £10 for 9 crap songs and one good one.

When you put it all together, the end result is that the record industry has the stick, but not the carrot. They are trying to beat people into buying, but dont offer anything people really want to buy. Then they are surprised that people pirate music.

I wish her the best of luck in crippling this near-criminal organisation. Any story which involes the R.I.Ass of America getting in trouble and losing money is one which will bring a smile to my face.

"Now, a new Andersen suit seeks class action status, demanding redress for everyone else who was allegedly harassed by the RIAA. The suit demands satisfaction from the Ass (-holes). as well as the big-name record labels that back the Ass(-holes). and MediaSentry, the company the Ass(-holes). hired to investigate suspected online file sharers."

RIAA sucks.

I agree totally with your post.

I'd just like to add, that their sorry attempt to make people feel better about paying through the nose for music are simply patronizing and not even very well executed. I talk of course of Value added Extras. Those "Bonus" live video clips, framed in some awful application that stops ordinary users watching at full screen resolution, because if they did they'd realize it's crappy, extra tracks, exclusive "interactive" elements that are simply nothing more than a poor microsite.

The only DVD that I have ever not minded spending good money on is Orbital's Altogether. Loads of hidden tracks, angles, actually games, and mad shit that must have really taken some planning to get to work, it's an interactive piece of art.

It only serves to encourage binge drinking and stop your neighbors from sleeping and it's mostly illegally downloaded anyway. Nothing will be harmed if we do away with it en masse.

"demands satisfaction from the Ass."

That line might as well get me fired. Squirting coffee from the nose while trying to get a grip over convulsive laughs is serious bussiness. Well, it is when you are in a open plane office with 45 developpers and they thought that shell session (Lynx) was vi.

Mine is the coffee stained one.

"open plane office with 45 developpers"

I wouldent worry. Half of them will probably have come and looked on El Reg to see what you were looking at.

Guns and bombs are the solution to the maggots at RIAA.

I've recently bought albums (delivered in mp3 format) from both Bonerama (http://www.bonerama.net) and Jonathan Coulton (http://www.jonathancoulton.com/) while I've been on the road - delivery by MP3 is much easier than trying to guess where I'll need to be for a physical shipment. Sure, it's not top-40, but it's good stuff, and I'd rather support artists who try to make life easier for their customers, rather than trying to scare the bejezus out of them.

Thumbs up because not all artists submit to delivery by the Ass.

Cheers,

Ian

I love this rag, that's why I read it everyday!

What goes around comes around, you bunch of record and movie industry "Ass."es!

"a thuggery of RIAA execs" ... a new collective noun? And does it apply to execs of MPAA, BPI, etc also?

It's encouraging to see the downtrodden take up the sword of law and fight back, but for her sake I hope it's over soon. If Hillary takes over the Whitehouse, you can expect things to get worse, as both she and her campaign are notoriously cozy with the Media industry.

/rant

I can feel for her in that she had to go out and illegally download "Shake that Ass Bitch". I can feel for her when someone makes a phone call impersonating the grandmother to the 10 year old. But to say "When you fish with a net your bound to catch a few dolphins"?

THINK OF THE DOLPHINS. WHAT HAVE THEY EVER DONE TO DESERVE THIS TREATMENT FROM THE ASSES OF AMERICA?

/end rant

On a side note though I do help she wins. /rant I mean sh*t though i have around 10k songs (about half of which I own the actual cds for how come they have never caught me? Oh maybe cause i say stuff you to sharing it back out cause i dont ant to be caught? Now im not justifying what they have done but damn people if your worried about getting caught point your shared folder to an empty folder and be done with it while you download all the other stuff. /end rant

I gotta lay off this coffee....

/mines the one with the fishing net hanging out of the pocket and Flipper on the back

A tyranny of RIAA execs?

I need to find the Paypal link...

Got to do this,

A Buggery of R.I.Ass.'s ?

Oh. all right, I'm going now .....

was a serious question -- I support what she's doing and would poke a few $$ into a Paypal contribute link if I could find it. Anyone know? If she doesn't have one, she should -- there should be plenty of grassroots Internet support...

Go Tanya, let's kick some Ass.!

Maybe this will convince the Ass.s that they are living in the Dark Ages. I only buy old stuff (used) that someone is selling because they don't want it anymore; I don't buy new because I refuse to support the Ass.s, so until the artists I do like go Indie and I can support them directly and give them 100% of the money, I guess that's how I have to do it...

The only sharing I do is with my iPod. But, they consider that illegal, so I guess I'm a criminal, too.

RIAA cast their net for tuna, caught some dolphin, and pissed off one big, bad mama whale.

The rest of us fish in the sea are cheering from the sidelines.