What is Digg?Sponsored by Best Buy
He sings, he strums, and he works at Best Buy. view!
www.youtube.com/bestbuy - Musician and Best Buy employee, Keith Parsons, rocks his Best Buy holiday campaign audition.
96 Comments
- reed311, on 10/12/2007, -1/+141I graduated from Umaine and I'm happy that they aren't caving in to the frivolous demands of the RIAA. There are methods for obtaining this kind of information and its called "court".
- Crazychipmunk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+104...Why haven't we started a jihad against the RIAA yet?
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+71I always wondered how it could possibly be legal for ISPs (or universities) to just hand over your personal contact information to a private company (RIAA) just because they ask for this? Are they not violating some sort of privacy law?
- Jibberwalk, on 10/12/2007, -1/+61I'm finishing up my first year at UMaine, and I'm impressed with this move. It really makes me proud of my university. They don't condone file sharing, and they actually have many posters and such warning against it --- but it's nice to see that they're are going to stand up for their students and our rights.
On a fun side note: The law team and graduate students from the University of Southern Maine are already being put on notice for "necessary actions to preserve the law." - mattvogt, on 10/12/2007, -1/+39Sign me up.
- fcekuahd, on 10/12/2007, -3/+34By the grace of Allah I will begin a thousand years of boycott against the infidel RIAA and its cursed labels and affiliates all praise be to Allah and his prophet Mohamed, we will be victorious.
- fcekuahd, on 10/12/2007, -0/+30I agree, I would think that an ISP or University that divulges private information without a court order would be risking a lawsuit. The RIAA is just trying to bully these people into settling. Somebody needs to challenge the RIAA in court.
- inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+32---bitter old man alert---
- jonohull, on 10/12/2007, -1/+28Exactly. I like that UW is doing the same thing here. The threat of these letters did scare some people away from sharing, though.
- geekee, on 10/12/2007, -1/+28You really don't understand copyright, do you?
- deadowl, on 10/12/2007, -0/+27uhhh... geekee.... I'm a student and I can't afford *****.
Before my freshman year of college, I saved all my money from working over summer break for a laptop. It has been a life saver. Now I don't get much support from my parents so I can't really do that again.
No, I can't afford an iPod. - noser, on 10/12/2007, -1/+26@ wiibuntu... how about a system to bypass the retail monopoly that rips off the artists, and instead go to a direct distro model where the artists see 100% of the revenue? How about we unlearn 'copyright' and re-learn 'patron' ?
Yes, it implies a fresh start... but maybe that's what we need. - deadowl, on 10/12/2007, -1/+23There are many brilliant musicians in the world that go unheard of by most people.
You find one, you find many.
The musicians that have already sacrificed their livelihood to work for Sony, EMI or the rest of them? They have been too foolish to realize the price of giving up the rights to their intellect. - orlyfactor, on 10/12/2007, -2/+20When will it be just enough already? Every day I'm so happy i am ***** over the RIAA. I just wish there was a way to pay artists directly.
- rstarr, on 10/12/2007, -1/+18@wiibuntu
Doesn't anyone get that artist don't make money off of albums? 3 or 4 dollars max is what they take, the label takes the rest. Artists make bank from shows, promotions, commercials, appearances, and everything else but sales. The sales only matter to the label as far as continuing pursuing the act's major label career and not for money. We aren't ripping the band off, we are ripping the label off. Sure, low scans might get them dropped, but in my opinion and others of many musicians, it's a blessing. You now have made a huge buzz and the world has heard you and now you are free to commit to an indie and make 10$+ on your album AND keep your publishing rights. If you hustle the way that you need to, this is when you can make a good living off of music and have control/ownership of it also.
BTW, I'm from Maine and Hell. Yeah. I have to many friends who would have gotten some letters. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -1/+15I hope other higher education institutions catch onto this. If I was a looking for a school now-days, one criteria I would consider is "What are the institutions policies for file-sharing and downloading of music?, especially if the institution does not forward my personal information to the RIAA.
I could see where this would be a huge selling point to some students. - custerfluck, on 10/12/2007, -3/+16Musiclam is a religion of peace. Death to the RIAA.
- cookdsc, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15Talk about instantly giving your organization good publicity. The school could have slaughtered 1,000 kittens yesterday and this would erase that act. Not everyone likes cats, everyone hates the RIAA.
- ChumpChief, on 10/12/2007, -2/+15$200 is approximately 10-12 cds, which in mp3 format would only be around 1GB of music. So to fill up one of those iPods, it's gonna take them at least $800 (for a Nano), or something like $16,000 (for an 80GB).
I think it's reasonable to assume the students might be able to afford the iPod before they can afford the music. - inactive, on 10/12/2007, -2/+14Well, when I was in school -- the money for things like that generally came from selling your Plasma. A friend of mine sold plasma to pay for his X-Box and beer. You'd sell your plasma Friday morning, get your $$$, take a nap and hit up the bar.
- Nate53085, on 10/12/2007, -0/+8@jjesusfreak
I work for IT at Umaine. What you described can't happen.
While we do send an email as a result of shutting the Internet off, its all done by automation and has nothing to do with court dates. We have actually found that email is the most effective way to get in contact with students. The dorm phones aren't really used anymore because of cell phones. Plus, how many student will goes days without checking their email in one of the clusters if they don't have the net in their rooms.
Most of the Internet shutdowns can be grouped into a couple categories
1) You computer has been port scanning or doing something else that the honeypot box on campus thought was probably a virus, which case you need to have your computer cleaned before you get the net back.
2) We received a complaint from a copyright holder and until a meeting is held with the network admin to decide what went on, then as a result you may or may not get your net back depending on circumstance.
There is no way that we would email you a court date. - DrScott, on 10/12/2007, -6/+14***** THE RIAA!!!
- Ghstfce, on 10/12/2007, -2/+10Hopefully this will be the "Atomic Wedgie" that will make the RIAA have to go to the hospital crying in pain. If more and more people take a stand against these tactics then the RIAA loses the peg leg it stands on.
Oh yeah and by the way, "where students can admit guilt and settle for an amount far lower than the RIAA could get in court."
HA! Try to get it in any U.S. court nowadays. Douchebags. - GMorgan, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7Of course it's free market. No one holds a metaphorical gun to anyone's head, hence it's free. I dislike the DRM and the litigious nonsense but I resist that by the face I haven't bought any music from these people in 3/4 years now. There are better things to do with my money and better ways to spend my time.
- jonohull, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8UW did shut down our LAN DC++ hub. It might not have had anything to do with the legal stuff. I was uploading over 100GB of files a day, so maybe they didn't like that strain on the system.
- surfactant, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Read the article. They are only refusing requests that do not come through the proper channels - i.e. a court order. This is nothing new. There is no "anti-intellectual property" agenda, no condoning of illegal acts, and no shady record keeping. If the RIAA presents a subpoena to the University, they will get the information they want.
- ajb2015, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7I have friends at umaine and they say the p2p situation is a virtual free-for-all.
- jjesusfreak01, on 10/12/2007, -2/+8Heard from someone who had a friend who had their internet access turned off. They went to the IT guys to ask why, who informed them it was file sharing, and they had an honor court date the next day. They asked the IT guys why they were not notified of any of this. We sent you an email, they said.
- ultrafine, on 10/12/2007, -3/+7I am a current sophomore at the University of Maine. This virtual "free-for-all" you speak of, if done at all, is usually on Direct Connect ++, a perfectly legal local p2p network done on the schools intranet. I would like to add that I am personally happy that our university is withholding our student information from such organizations. I feel that the University of Wisconson has almost set a trend with their non-disclosure policy.
- jonohull, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Sorry, but 128 is not CD quality. And a lot of those stations are only 96.
- thtroyer, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4I don't consider 128kb CD quality... besides, 'CD quality' is just another pseudo-term being thrown around carelessly (or used in marketing). It doesn't mean anything. As far as I can tell, lossless codecs (wav, flac) can only be considered 'CD quality', because that is what it is. I'm not saying that 128 KB/s mp3 isn't good enough for some applications -- just clarifying.
Besides, stuff like this gives the RIAA more leverage (ammo) to keep doing the crap they've been doing. Don't support it guys. - Gunnaf, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5"The only reason for a University to EXIST AT ALL is to be a repository of copy-protected material..."
Really? I thought the reason for a University to exist was to SHARE and RECEIVE information. And, if you want to look at it another way, universities are a place where the purpose is to actually STEAL information and points of view of others (whether that be through books, professors, even other students). - zebstah, on 10/12/2007, -1/+4"This virtual "free-for-all" you speak of, if done at all, is usually on Direct Connect ++, a perfectly legal local p2p network done on the schools intranet."
This is patently false. Just because it's local and on the intranet, does not make sharing copyrighted files legal. If there are copyrighted files being shared, it is (most likely) a violation of Title 17. Being local and on the intranet makes it less likely to draw fire, but it doesn't make it 'legal.' Bitorrent isn't "illegal," nor is "kazaa" or "dcc" or even "ftp." It's the act of using those tools to infringe upon copyright that is illegal.
And, from what I've heard from my buddy at UMO, the DC hubs are being cracked down upon.
Gibhunter: "If the Campus doesnt give out their information, UMO becomes the target. They will have to pay for the people who did the downloading.. unless they can fight this."
Ummm...no. They will not have to "pay for the people who did the downloading." They may need to go to court for subpoena hearings to force disclosure of names, but no, I'm 99% sure they are sealed from liability. They are under no obligation to bow to the RIAA's strong arm tactics. Thats what the courts are for. If the RIAA is so sure, they can subpoena. In fact, I'd say it is a moral and ethical obligation (though not contractual due to the TOS for most networks) to not reveal student information just from some random party asking for it. Subpoena or shut up. - darkamster07, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3actually I have been toying with the idea of downloading my favorite artist's music, then physically sending them money? stupid, I know; but if you are starting a war on the RIAA, sign me up.
- rnwen2750, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3I think they call for double rates because most of you are not just listening to the song once, nor are you keeping it to yourself, but usually your computer acts as a hub for others to download from.
- bmatherlyjr, on 10/12/2007, -3/+6geekee,
There is a huge difference between "copyright" and totalitarianism.
I support "copyright", I am a firm believer that nothing in the world is free, and indeed everything has a 'price' associated.
However, when an organization calls for double the rates for no other reason than to fatten the wallets of their "members" and serves no great services to others that's when everyone including myself become up at arms. Explain the rational why artists should have a performance rights fee attached to every song played? These are the same artists who make millions of dollars annually by participating in this moronic concept they call "touring". This isn't called being a "free market" it's called "being greedy". If you need further assistance in learning what becomes of a person when they participate in greed like behavior consult the book of Ecclesiastes; I do believe they call it one of the seven deadly. Should consumers be punished because the music industry refuses to adapt? I don't think so. - HappyPig, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3Dartmouth's also going along with submitting to the subpoenas:
"When the RIAA identifies an apparently unlawful file-sharing transaction conducted via the College computer network, they send a letter to the College identifying the IP address and date/time of the transaction and asking the College to forward the letter to the student to whom the IP address is registered. The letter invites the student to contact the RIAA to negotiate a settlement at a “substantially discounted” rate before a lawsuit is filed. The average settlement is generally around $3,000-$5,000. Students must respond within 20 days of receiving the letter for the lawsuit to be dismissed.
If the student fails to respond, the RIAA will issue a subpoena to the College that requires the College to provide the RIAA with the student’s name and other identifying information. The RIAA then has the option of filing a lawsuit for copyright infringement against the student so identified. Please understand that the College will not disclose any student’s information to the RIAA unless a subpoena is issued. " - tkw722, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3I'm going to the University of Maine right now. A buddy of mine just had his internet turned off due to sharing copyrighted material. Good thing for him UMaine isn't into these bastards.
- autocracy, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Unfortunately, not all of the UMaine system is acting this way. It would appear that it's just the flagship (Orono) campus. E-mail received on the University of Southern Maine campus list-serv earlier this week (a UMaine campus):
This message is being shared with students, faculty and staff to remind
everyone that downloading of copyrighted material is against the law and
University policy and doing so can result in serious consequences if one
is found to have violated the law. Recently the Recording Industry
Association of America (RIAA) has taken a very aggressive stance against
actions they deem to be violations of their member's copyright
ownership.
In the past they have notified the University of possible violations
and we have addressed these in a quiet and educational manner through
the Office of Community Standards explaining the policies and possible
consequences to people found to have actually violated the law. Now
RIAA has increased their level of notification. Wednesday afternoon the
University System received "pre-litigation" letters identifying
individuals and alleging specific violations of the copyright law and
offering settlement to these individuals. On advice of the University
Counsel's Office we will be delivering these letters to the named
individuals.
This is serious and no one should take this lightly. If a person is
caught violating the law they can receive significant fines. The
University also has a legal obligation to ensure the community observes
applicable laws and to not aid individuals in the violation or
circumventing of them. If it fails to meet this duty then it can liable
for substantial penalties for enabling the violations. For more
information on our policies, the applicable laws and to see a sample
copy of the RIAA letter please refer to the links below.
USM's Acceptable Use of Information Resources Policy
http://www.usm.maine.edu/computing/policies/acceptableuse.jsp
ResNet Copyright Page
http://www.usm.maine.edu/resnet/doc/copyright.html
Copy of a RIAA Letter
http://www.usm.maine.edu/doit/notification-of-copyright-infringement-clause.pdf
Digital Millennium Copyright Act
http://www.educause.edu/issues/dmca.html
Title 17 United States Code - Copyright
http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/html/uscode17/usc_sup_01_17.html
Wm. W. Wells, Jr.,
Chief Information Officer
University of Southern Maine - andritchie, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2@ajb2015
I can also confirm this. - rnwen2750, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I know, I hate it when a university (that could be held liable for the actions students take through their internet service) forbids doing illegal activities!
- thedreaming1, on 10/12/2007, -3/+5Poeple love to share things they have with people that have little or nothing. It's human nature. The problem comes when human nature runs smack into capitalism. Downloading copyirghted music is wrong, but still people continue to do it. Mostly cause they don't see the harm, mostly cause they don't want to pay $14.95 for the two tracks on the whole cd that they really like. You wiould think that .99 per track would be more acceptable and for some of them, it is, but some want it for free, simply because it's being made available (via p2p) for free.
It's just a big mess and it'll get alot worst before it gets any better. - autocracy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3@Nate53085
Honor court == student conduct board. - greenlight2001, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I went to UMO and we were always high... :P
Okay, I kid... drunk mostly actually. I'm glad to see UMaine is sticking up for its students. GO BLUE! - APac, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3With the majority of schools refusing to send student info to the riaa, it makes me more and more mad that my university not only handed over student info, but also sends the students to the university judiciaries to face probation or expulsion.
Ohio University went along 100% with subpoena. To make things worse, the students accused got in trouble with the university judiciaries as well. This was a call made by Ohio U's president.
Here's a source and quote from the local paper, it's so funny to see it happen around me. The university is doing absolutely nothing to help students in trouble, just making it worse.
"While OU has offered advice to students picked up in RIAA's net, it cannot help them any further, and actually is referring these students to campus judiciaries for allegedly misusing the campus network."
http://athensnews.com/index.php?action=viewarticle§ion=archives&story_id=27714
In case you forgot, Ohio U was #1 in offenses in the first wave of letters. Just recently there was another wave of letters sent out to university students, but Ohio U was lucky enough to escape with 0. (In the same news story as above) - generalloy, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3This is exactly how it should be done. Otherwise, the university helps the RIAA make money when they don't or haven't presented a strong case, as we've seen in previous court cases that haven't settled.
- Travelsonic, on 02/01/2009, -0/+1"This is patently false. Just because it's local and on the intranet, does not make sharing copyrighted files legal. "
True, though now one must distinguish between copyrighted as a blanket title and infringing files, since copyrighted files (even those under creative commons/copyleft/etc, since those systems rely on copyright) are legally freely distributed too. - Salgat, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I have some dinky mp3 player, that loads all my illegally downloaded music on it. I'm a man of frugality, you see.
- SystemLord, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2http://www.p2plawsuits.com!!!!!!!!!! Why the hell didn't they just stick their banking information in the footer?!? This organization is the new wave of crime mafia.
- RevEng, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2Sorry Pharmapool, but I think you missed the issue.
The question here isn't whether or not these students actually did infringe copyright; that's for a court of law to decide. What is at issue is the legal process with which lawsuits are to be brought up.
Consider these facts:
- The RIAA doesn't know who may have committed an infringing act, they only have an IP address of a computer that was (likely) connected to a file sharing network.
- The reason for using the material is unknown. Note that copying the material isn't immediately illegal; the reason for copying it has a lot to do with fair use.
- The university is not required to release these IPs to the RIAA. To the contrary, they are required by law to protect this information unless subpoenaed, otherwise they themselves will be legally liable to the students.
- These letters are not legal suits. The students haven't been charged with anything.
- Few students can afford a legal battle, especially one which could become lengthy and costly.
- The RIAA has been quite successful at collecting money after alleging infringement (typically before being brought to court)
Now, if I were a reasonable college student who was accused of copyright infringement but was nonetheless innocent, what are my options?
a) Ignore the letter and hope that they don't pursue the issue.
b) Pay a small amount of money to avoid a lengthy battle.
c) Risk the cost of my education on a legal battle which I may never win.
Given the options, any reasonable person would pay the hush money and live with it. Why? Because the legal fees of fighting the charges, combined with the low likelihood of seeing it through to completion, are far worse than the few thousand dollars it would cost to make it go away.
By sending letters (rather than serving papers) to the university, the RIAA has failed to follow legal procedures. The university is not allowed to give them the names of students without a subpoena. It's also not the university's responsibility to deliver these letters to the students. If nothing else, the university's only responsibility is to investigate the manner internally since this likely would be against their own acceptable use policies and terms of service.
In terms of the purpose of these letters, demanding a substantial monetary fee in order to avoid a tremendously expensive and time-consuming ordeal is the exact definition of extortion. To call it a "bargain" would assume guilt, but as I showed above, a reasonable, innocent person would also choose this option, as the cost of the ensuing legal battle is just too great.
Perhaps this is a failure of our legal system, maybe it's a scare tactic, or maybe it's a successful (if not ingenious) money making scheme. In any case, no reasonable person could agree to the circumstance this creates. Nor could any reasonable person compel the university to play along with this rouse.
Thank you UMS for standing up for the rights of your students and the legal process that we fought hard to institute in our society. Let's leave it up to the courts to decide who is right or wrong, not the color of one's money. -
Show 51 - 96 of 96 discussions
The Digg Toolbar for Firefox lets you Digg, submit content, and keep track of Digg even when you're not on the Digg site. Download the official 
© Digg Inc. 2009
— Content created and posted by Digg users is