RIAA redefining piracy: Rip your own CD? You're a thief!

[.Shane.]

Source

I found this utterly shocking. It seems the RIAA is re-writing their own past acknowledgements as well as legal precedent.

They are now going to argue that if you rip your own CD for PERSONAL USE you are a thief. They are, essentially, killing themselves here. Every idiotic move like this turns more people against them.

Some quotes:

RIAA's hard-line position seems clear. Its Web site says: "If you make unauthorized copies of copyrighted music recordings, you're stealing. You're breaking the law and you could be held legally liable for thousands of dollars in damages."

...

Sony BMG's chief of litigation, Jennifer Pariser, testified that "when an individual makes a copy of a song for himself, I suppose we can say he stole a song." Copying a song you bought is "a nice way of saying 'steals just one copy,' " she said.

Note: This is contrary to what the RIAA used to say. An example:

If you choose to take your own CDs and make copies for yourself on your computer or portable music player, that's great.

This is from the webarchive of the RIAA's own site.

I can only hope the RIAA dies a painful death.

edit: originally came across this on boingboing.

 

[Newbunkle]

Complete muppets

 

[GenMarshall]

I only store them onto my computer and sync them to my iPod after extracting them from CDs (As well as backing them up on a 7z file, just incase I have to reinstall windows. iTunes and iPod is pretty finky about having the exact file in it's exact spot. )

So now these people are waging a war against MP3 players, even if people legally own the CDs?!

 

[.Shane.]

I only store them onto my computer and sync them to my iPod after extracting them from CDs (As well as backing them up on a 7z file, just incase I have to reinstall windows. iTunes and iPod is pretty finky about having the exact file in it's exact spot. )

If the RIAA had their way, that would make you a thief.

 

[Elrohir]

I just posted this in Fiftychat! Shane, are you working for the NSA?

 

[Tabasco Sauce]

Good thing nobody gives a damn what they think. I don't really listen to music much, so it really doesn't affect me, but the means to get music free or ripped from cd's are widely available, and if a person is careful enough, without incuring any risk of a law suit from the RIAA.

 

[ainwood]

If the RIAA had their way, that would make you a thief.

At least this should get apple, Microsoft etc AGAINST the RIAA.

 

[Strider]

It's not like they are actually going to end up winning the war.

 

[.Shane.]

I just posted this in Fiftychat! Shane, are you working for the NSA?

You got me. My leanings are merely cover for the fact that I'm a faceless brownshirt autocrat secretly planning to send a whole lot of you to Gitmo very shortly.

/shifty eyes

It's not like they are actually going to end up winning the war.

No. They won't. And, the "nice" thing is the more they embrace this kind of thinking the more they ensure their demise.

 

[Newbunkle]

LOL, you know what I hate? Anti-piracy ad's on DVD's. I mean, if I downloaded it I wouldn't have to watch them. What gives with ruining the fun of the paying customer?

 

[GenMarshall]

If the RIAA had their way, that would make you a thief.

Thats lovely, so the RIAA wants to give me a headache. Especialy when I take inventory of my MP3s and back them up in a 7z file.

I'd suspect Apple inc. and Microsoft would be up in arms against this (litteraly, with a bare sleaveless arm and a wired mouse in the other hand being used as a numchuck)

LOL, you know what I hate? Anti-piracy ad's on DVD's. I mean, if I downloaded it I wouldn't have to watch them. What gives with ruining the fun of the paying customer?

Remember the old Don't Copy That Floppy ad?

 

[Julian Delphiki]

I think this was on slashdot already few months ago, and has only now surfaced to mainstream press. Brilliant business plan they got there, i have to admit .. sell a cd, sue.. ???.

Answer most likely is not profit this time.

 

[bhsup]

*Sigh* You know, crap like this makes it hard for those of us that have typically supported the RIAA to continue to do so.

 

[Newbunkle]

Thats lovely, so the RIAA wants to give me a headache. Especialy when I take inventory of my MP3s and back them up in a 7z file.

I'd suspect Apple inc. and Microsoft would be up in arms against this (litteraly, with a bare sleaveless arm and a wired mouse in the other hand being used as a numchuck)



Remember the old Don't Copy That Floppy ad?

LMAO, I've never seen that one. I've seen the DVD one though that says "piracy funds terrorism".

 

[.Shane.]

*Sigh* You know, crap like this makes it hard for those of us that have typically supported the RIAA to continue to do so.

I was very much "anti-pirate" until I bought a CD and it had some shiit software on it that wouldn't let me rip MY OWN CD. I found the same music online in 5 minutes and I never looked back.

 

[JohnRM]

I made a pledge back in 2004 to never buy another Compact Disc ever again, and I've held to that pledge. This doesn't help.

 

[MjM]

This is why, even as an aspiring musician, I download music.

 

[Tabasco Sauce]

If the RIAA stop treating customers like criminals, then things would change.

 

[Strider]

I was very much "anti-pirate" until I bought a CD and it had some shiit software on it that wouldn't let me rip MY OWN CD. I found the same music online in 5 minutes and I never looked back.

You'd be surprised what you buy that is not music from companies that are members of RIAA. Rockstar Games and Dreamworks Pictures are two of the supporters that pop to my head first.

You can check the RIAA website for a list of member associations.

 

[Leonel]

What next? It's illegal to hum a tune?