sebfernando
August 1st, 2003, 04:28 AM
Hey,
just a few answers to popular questions. i know someone posted a simliar thread to this one, but i thought his answers were not detailed enough.
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Could I be sued for swapping a few songs?
Theoretically, you could. But the RIAA says it is suing file swappers who have consistently trade large amounts.
It recently took action against a college student in Michigan who ran a network offering more than 650,000 files - the equivalent of more than 43,000 albums. They have chased other users who have again uploaded thousands of files.
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Can children be sued for uploading or downloading songs?
The RIAA says it could prosecute anyone, including children.
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Why are record companies so worried?
Global music sales are falling, with sales down by 13% in the UK alone in the first quarter of this year.
The music industry, which has suffered massive redundancies and restructuring in the last decade, says the swapping of music files over the internet is one of the major parts of music piracy. It has sued online song-swapping services like Napster and Kazaa.
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I live in the UK, but US computer users will be able to access the songs I share on file-swapping networks. Will the RIAA sue me?
No. The RIAA's UK equivalent, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), says this is a US action that is affecting only music downloaders in the US because international laws are different. The RIAA cannot take action against people outside the US.
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Is the BPI planning to sue UK users?
It has said it will not rule out suing individual users, but that it would be a "last resort". The BPI says it is currently trying to educate people - including sending out leaflets to colleges and large business - to tell people where they can download music legally.
It also says using peer-to-peer services risks downloading viruses. But if the RIAA's actions are successful, a similar system could be on the cards for the UK.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Why is the RIAA chasing individual users?
The music industry has had mixed fortunes in its court actions against the companies that support file-swapping on the internet. Some have been successful - like the action which forced Napster to close - and some have not.
Last month a US judge ruled that two file-swapping networks, Grokster and Morpheus, were not responsible for what was traded on their systems.
However, the RIAA was successful in getting telecommunications giant Verizon to hand over details of customers who swap files. This has allowed them to begin the process of gathering evidence against individuals.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Are other music industry groups going to take similar action?
Four countries in Europe have already taken action - Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Italy, says the International Federation for the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). German police impounded computer equipment in April in the town of Furth that had been used to upload up to one million files. In Italy at least 75 actions have been taken.
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Will legitimate online services ever rival the peer-to-peer sites?
The launch of the Apple system iTunes, where US users can choose from 200,000 songs at 99 cents a song has been a huge success, with more than five million songs downloaded in the first month. The system will be launched in Europe later this year. Microsoft are also in discussion with Universal, the world's biggest music group, about a similar system.
---->SebstA<----
:mellow
just a few answers to popular questions. i know someone posted a simliar thread to this one, but i thought his answers were not detailed enough.
------------------------====================--------------------
Could I be sued for swapping a few songs?
Theoretically, you could. But the RIAA says it is suing file swappers who have consistently trade large amounts.
It recently took action against a college student in Michigan who ran a network offering more than 650,000 files - the equivalent of more than 43,000 albums. They have chased other users who have again uploaded thousands of files.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Can children be sued for uploading or downloading songs?
The RIAA says it could prosecute anyone, including children.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Why are record companies so worried?
Global music sales are falling, with sales down by 13% in the UK alone in the first quarter of this year.
The music industry, which has suffered massive redundancies and restructuring in the last decade, says the swapping of music files over the internet is one of the major parts of music piracy. It has sued online song-swapping services like Napster and Kazaa.
----------------------------------------------------------------
I live in the UK, but US computer users will be able to access the songs I share on file-swapping networks. Will the RIAA sue me?
No. The RIAA's UK equivalent, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI), says this is a US action that is affecting only music downloaders in the US because international laws are different. The RIAA cannot take action against people outside the US.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Is the BPI planning to sue UK users?
It has said it will not rule out suing individual users, but that it would be a "last resort". The BPI says it is currently trying to educate people - including sending out leaflets to colleges and large business - to tell people where they can download music legally.
It also says using peer-to-peer services risks downloading viruses. But if the RIAA's actions are successful, a similar system could be on the cards for the UK.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Why is the RIAA chasing individual users?
The music industry has had mixed fortunes in its court actions against the companies that support file-swapping on the internet. Some have been successful - like the action which forced Napster to close - and some have not.
Last month a US judge ruled that two file-swapping networks, Grokster and Morpheus, were not responsible for what was traded on their systems.
However, the RIAA was successful in getting telecommunications giant Verizon to hand over details of customers who swap files. This has allowed them to begin the process of gathering evidence against individuals.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Are other music industry groups going to take similar action?
Four countries in Europe have already taken action - Germany, Switzerland, Denmark and Italy, says the International Federation for the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). German police impounded computer equipment in April in the town of Furth that had been used to upload up to one million files. In Italy at least 75 actions have been taken.
----------------------------------------------------------------
Will legitimate online services ever rival the peer-to-peer sites?
The launch of the Apple system iTunes, where US users can choose from 200,000 songs at 99 cents a song has been a huge success, with more than five million songs downloaded in the first month. The system will be launched in Europe later this year. Microsoft are also in discussion with Universal, the world's biggest music group, about a similar system.
---->SebstA<----
:mellow