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RIAA Drops Another File Sharing Case

arstechnica.com — Since the RIAA began filing lawsuits against suspected file sharers in 2003, not a single one has gone all the way to trial. It appears that the RIAA is dropping cases to avoid the possibility of losing and thus set a precedent against their witchhunt!

Who dugg this? Made popular Oct 16, 2006

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  • JackHallows, on 10/12/2007, -3/+36The RIAA has once again proven they suck... as usual.
  • Baddox, on 10/12/2007, -0/+11If you mean people are falling for iTunes, you're right, but I've personally no use for overpriced, mainstream, DRM'ed songs. I have yet to find a suitable alternative for P2P, other than buying hard CD's of bands I actually LIKE (which I only do after downloading the CD's from P2P).
  • sirhomer, on 10/12/2007, -4/+14When will the RIAA learn that lawsuits isn't going to destroy file sharing? They have to learn to COMPETE with file sharing, just like it was a competor. Make something easy to use, cheap, and without too restrictive DRM. Most people don't care to pay for music, but they want something *BETTER* then file sharing. iTunes Store is getting it right, I think.
  • pkenjora, on 10/12/2007, -0/+9Sweet this will set a great precedent. I've wondered why no one tried this before.

    I know tons of people with wireless networks that are open. Nothing simpler than connecting to a neighbor and downloading files through his/her network. There is no requirement to lock down a wireless network.

    On top of that its not hard to fake an IP address. I can get my neighbors name and IP fairly easily. Especially in college dorms, apartment complexes (usually a dozen wireless networks pop up) its so easy to frame someone.

    How can they prove it was you, not as easily as you can show it wasn't. Interesting to see what happens here. This may be the straw that broke the camel's back for the RIAA.
  • crilen007, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10Milhouse: I traded your soul for Alf pogs. Remember Alf? He's back. In pog form.
  • meepus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6why don't people who've been victimized file a class-action racketeering suit?
  • dclowd9901, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I would be less averse to iTMS if it had no DRM restrictions whatsoever, but as it is, I can't even stream the songs over my xbox360 when I want to play them through my home stereo. Lame sauce.
  • Braska, on 10/12/2007, -4/+9Keep the Internet and the law seperate
  • Baddox, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5I think the entertainment industry doesn't go an hour without making millions.
  • Lane, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Dun! Dun! Dun! another one bites the dust!
  • Baddox, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@pkenjora,

    Indeed, it would be easy in some cases to "fake" an IP address. My small town has a wireless ISP that throws everyone right on the public net. That is to say, unless you have a home router, your NIC is plugged straight into a bridge (the wireless antenna outside your house) and you assign your public (and static, no less) IP address in your TCP/IP settings. Armed with the knowledge that every even IP address (x.x.x.2, x.x.x.4, x.x.x.6, etc.) on their subnet can be used, I could set my computer to any of those IP's other than the one I'm assigned, and do whatever I want. With terrible ISP setups like that, I don't see how they can even say an IP address is enough proof of identity to file a lawsuit.
  • Baddox, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2buddyglass,

    I don't think that has been settled in court, in fact, I think quite the opposite has. How can you be responsible for someone using your wireless connection to break the law? If it were another online offense, say identity theft, being commited via your connection, I doubt if you would be liable to anything more than some questioning.
  • crilen007, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3The only thing I remember of Alf, is the intro, the simpsons Pog reference, and when they talked about him in Lord of the Flies.
  • sophiaperennis, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2'Attorney Ray Beckerman, who runs the Recording Industry vs. The People blog, told Ars that the RIAA's evidence of a name, an IP address, and a list of songs in Elektra v. Wilke isn't enough to constitute "competent evidence sufficient to create a material issue of fact that can be used at trial."'

    For those who didn't know, Ray Beckerman is on Digg: http://digg.com/users/RayBeckerman
  • lpmiller, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1To be fair, they have gotten a few people to settle out of court, and they get the press, so it's not a failure of a program in that regard. just fricken useless in actually stopping it.
  • d3athr1d3r, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I once feared the RIAA because of the rediculous punishments the enforced for breaking any (or all in my case) of their rediculous rules, but after seeing the real face of this well orginized group i no longer fear them so much.
  • vap0r, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1We've got them on the ropes! Time to deliver the knockout punch!
  • zestyhedgehog, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I don't see how the dropping the case can set a precedent. There is no precedent unless the court decides the case. And also, judging by "Wilke's attorneys told Beckerman that "plaintiffs, the RIAA, and SBC [Wilke's ISP] worked cooperatively and amicably to resolve this dispute," it looks like they settled the case.
  • PSPDS, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1RIAA is not under control and will not control us.
  • lifewithout, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0This does not set a precedent, at least not in a legal sense. Also, if you set up an open wireless network then you are liable for willful neglect. All of these posts should start with, "I'm not a lawyer but...".

  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0I think companies and the general public is getting fed up with the RIAA and starting to fight back. Here is an example of a company who has taken a shot at the RIAA in a clever way: http://digg.com/music/Nexus_Radio_Turns_the_Other_Cheek_to_the_RIAA_with_Eye_Popping_Ad_4

  • MagicBobert, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1@sirhomer

    That's exactly right. I wrote a fairly lengthy article about that a few weeks ago titled "How the Entertainment Industry Could Have Made Millions"

    Emphasis on "could have", because they destroyed that golden opportunity by taking the litigation route.
  • buddyglass, on 10/12/2007, -5/+1Unfortunately, you are responsible for your wireless connection. This has been established in court. So if you don't turn encryption on then, you are liable.
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -9/+3no one comments because no one cares.

    The RIAA went out with disco or pogs.
  • inactive, on 10/12/2007, -7/+0Alf is great. I have seasons 1-4 on dvd :)
  • lethalpotato, on 10/12/2007, -14/+5"Keep the Internet and the law seperate"

    i agree, kiddie porn for all!
    /sarcasm

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