The RIAA has finally come around to the idea that bullying it’s biggest fans is probably not good for business. Wired reports:
After suing over 35,000 people since 2003, the RIAA has reached agreements with undisclosed ISPs to throttle or shutter subscribers’ internet connections if they ignore warnings to stop sharing music. The process would replace a “subpoena, settle or sue” process that has been expensive for the RIAA, since it requires the organization to go through the country’s legal system in order to pressure those it suspects of sharing music without permission…
Music fans may feel some relief that sharing music will no longer put them at risk of a lawsuit, assuming their ISP is one of those that has agreed to the plan. However, the biggest beneficiary of the new deal is the RIAA itself, which has seen its investigative techniques questioned and suffered key setbacks in court while paying extensive attorneys’ fees to pursue cases through the normal legal channels…
Yet despite all of this time and money being spent suing file sharers, the RIAA has never successfully sued a single alleged file sharer whose the case went to trial.
Considering the fact that 95% of kids “pirate” music and the RIAA hasn’t been able to bring one successful suit against them, I’d say this is a small, first step in sort of the right direction for the music industry. It still has a long way to go if it intends to succeed in the modern world.
Source:
RIAA Plans to Stop Suing Music Fans
Eliot Van Buskirk
Wired.com
December 19, 2008