I live in Argentina and the news about this is everywhere around here today.
So far, they've targeted 20 (yes, twenty!, I almost could name them one by one ..) people. Basically they're going after big time uploaders with 5000+ songs made available to a P2P network.
The funny part is that LEGAL music downloads have not lauched yet in Argentina. They're scheduled for December or even January 06.
Besides, rumors say that they're going to set the same price tag for songs as in the USA. That's U$S 0.99 per song. Waaaaaayyyy too much, if you ask me. An average top selling (legal) CD goes for about 9 U$S here. Do your math ...
Anyway, I serously don't see ANYONE shelling out three thousand american dollars to settle a civil case here with the recording industry. And I don't think judges here will be so generous with the local version of the RIAA as they are up north.
Just my two cents (of a peso) :)

By the way, Micronaut is right. It's time to put your tin foil hat on, grab your Tor, and get ready for showtime :D

My thought on the matter is why dont they stop trying to sue everyone and there brother and come up with a LEGAL p2p program that dont cost an arm and a leg. And that everyone can enjoy and not have to worry about the RIAA or MPAA. Breathing down there necks. Apple now offers Tv shows 2 bucks an eposide. I dont find that to be to ridiculous. And they would actually save money in the long run I would imagine anyway.!

Bring on anonymous internet, no user accounts needed, just hookup ya wireless broadband whereever you are and your on the net.
Then lets see how easy it is for them to find out who you are when all they have is a wireless hotspot address to hunt you down with :)
What next, I bet some lawyer will come out with a court case to sue a dude who had porn on p2p being shared because some underage kid 'accidently' downloaded it, so they sue you for providing porn to underages on p2p.

Wow I didn't look at it that way.... For every bit of money the Music Industry makes of off these suits is Tax free... Heh smart dirty S.O.B's. God I love the way the corporate industry thinks nowadays...

RIAA: So guys, what are we gonna do today?

MPAA: Well, I heard of a 7 Year old girl who download 12 Disney songs on Limewire the other day

RIAA: Oh really? Wealthy family??? Can they afford a lawyer??

MPAA: Nah...Middle/low class, probably $24,000 a year in tottal income between the Single moms two jobs and child support.

RIAA: Heh...Perfect...

MIAA? What the hell is that? Do we have a 3rd Evil "Association of America" now?

I'd only heard of RIAA and the MPAA before now.

Got any more information on this group? They sound absolutely incorridgable.

jesus, you guys are just bent on talking crap about other people on BN.

I ment the MPAA, I was typing it in a hurry.

Unfortunately they don't count that as "revenue". Otherwise, they wouldn't be losing money at all. It's all so, so shady.

However, the first time they lose in court, and that country will become a "haven". So to speak...

Russia.

The Russian authorities basically told RIAA where to stick it.

Hence, AllofMP3.

So nowadays the basic Meetings going on in the Music industry are as follows.

CEO: Hey guys, I just got off the phone with our accounting department. Basically they told me that we need to s*** our bussiness practices. From now on we will just hire untalented punks and pour a little money into some ad campaigns, over price their CDs and wait a little.

Creativity Director: BUT SIR! How will we make a profit. The industry is lacking talented artists as it is!

CEO: SILENCE! Its simple you twit. We over price the CDs, so ppl hardly buy them.(Just so ppl think we still have artists) Then we basically just sue all those File sharers out there for 3k dollars a pop or more. So we make money of those old artists we have that the damn consumers think are so good they still want their stuff. At the same time we are hardly spending money on new artists. Isnt it great?

Creative Director: Sir isnt that kind of unethical? Arent we here to promote new exiting music for our consumers?

CEO: Dude im here to make money. Oh btw, we will not be needing your services any longer since we dont need to be creative anymore. Your fired.

CEO: Call up the lawyers folks. REMEMBER! We must target naive consumers. None of these leet hackers, we just want the small potatoes, cause those are the ones who will cough up the 3grand cause they dont know any better.

"Arent we here to promote new exiting music for our consumers? "

RIAA is not a promoter. They are an organization formed by the industry (artists, labels, distributors, etc..) to uphold the rights of those under their umbrella.

So, no they're not here to promote new or existing music.

Also, that last bit? Any decent lawyer (yeah, even the ones only 'naive' consumers can afford) will tell you to settle. The court fees alone would total more than $3000 even if you won and there's absolutely no guarantee of that.

That little bit was just a parody of how the Music Corps work.

This is getting rediculus....

3,800 X $3000 = $11,400,000

All in a days work, eh?

Yep, I'm in the wrong business.

And you still support these kind of actions? I mean thats a ridiculous number.

It would be a hell of a lot smaller if these folks had a modicum of self-control and respect.

$3,000 might be a large number to many folks, but considering court-fees, lawyers, etc...it's peanuts to what a trial would cost the users, whether they win or not.

I will defend to the death RIAA's right to protect the artists and labels who have invested their interests in them.

Now, that does not necessarily mean I have to like it.

Let me put it this way:

Would you rather a body formed to protect the rights of clients not be legally allowed to do so to the fullest extent of their ability?

It's not RIAA that's out of control, it's the United States IP laws, and the tactics companies and organizations are allowed to use to enforce/exploit them.

RIAA may be bad, but the idea that formed them was a good one, just horribly perverted by the societal and governmental laws under which it now rampages.

> It's not RIAA that's out of control,
> it's the United States IP laws...

RIAA bought themselves those laws (DMCA, etc. ), and you are saying RIAA is not out of control?

And our government let them.

RIAA is not completely blameless, as I stated in the sentance below the one you quoted. But it's as much, if not more, the fault of a governmental body that would let self-interest mandate laws to govern society.

Yes, it is getting out of hand..

This is getting out of hand.

They'll never catch me in my tinfoil hat!