p2p file sharing

[russerika]

I've been wondering whether the music industry is going to try and sue ALL file sharers in our society, or is it just the sharers who download the latest music releases that they're currently going after. I've been a huge file sharer of older music for quite some time, really enjoy doing it(catching up on older rock classics), and I hate to stop if I'm not really doing anything that would get me sued or in any kind of trouble. Russerika

[d-koolest]

It's less likely that you'll be sued because when they go to sue people the first step is searching for something, and they'll do something popular. But you're still in danger. You're not using Kazaa are you? If not you are fairy safe. Also it's not the downloading they catch you on, it's the sharing.

[cjules13]

Doesn't most copyright die after about 20 years? I really not sure on this one, but most people are buying the new stuff, so they get the most aggressive against people who are sharing it, because it's bigger bucks.

A sample snippet of what people were sharing when they got busted:
from: http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104-5073004.html

In the most recent wave of investigations, the RIAA has used automated tools that look for a relatively short list of files. When it finds a person sharing one or more of those files, it downloads all or many of them for verification purposes. A complete list of these target files is not available, but a sampling of files cited in the early lawsuits includes the following artists and songs:

• Bobby McFerrin, "Don't Worry, Be Happy"
• Thompson Twins, "Hold Me Now"
• Eagles, "Hotel California"
• George Michael, "Kissing A Fool"
• Paula Abdul, "Knocked Out"
• Green Day, "Minority"
• UB40, "Red Red Wine"
• Ludacris "Area Codes"
• Marvin Gaye, "Sexual Healing"
• Avril Lavigne, "Complicated"

[tMoD]

Now that corporations, which never die, hold copyrights, copyright is essentially eternal. The public domain is no more; at least in the analog world.

[pje1979]

Have any file sharers been sued from outside the USA? I live in the UK and the European Union are talking about bringing a Europe wide law to make ISP's give up the names of file sharers.

[Wolfie]

Have any file sharers been sued from outside the USA? I live in the UK and the European Union are talking about bringing a Europe wide law to make ISP's give up the names of file sharers.

So far the answer is no, since the RIAA (Record Indusrty Association of America) has been the only one following through with sueing ppl.

However, there always possible that the RIAA equivalent in other countrys might follow suit...