Recently I wrote a letter to my Senator Carl Levin (Michigan)about the recent issues of P2P and the RIAA. He wrote back pretty quick and this is what he had to say about the recent issues. This is to give you a idea on what is going on in the United States Senate,
“Thank you for contacting me with your concerns about the Recording Industry Association of America’s (RIAA) recent decision to issue subpeonas to gather evidence for potential lawsuits against Peer-to-Peer (P2P) file sharing software users. I appreciate hearing views on this matter.”
“The P2P exchange, also referred to as swapping, of certain types of files over the internet poses serious questions regarding existing copyrights. Digital media files, such as MP3s, e-books, and digital pictures, often contain copyrighted material. As a result, the free exchange of these files raises concerns among copyright holders. Meanwhile, some consumer rights groups and civil liberties organizations argue that P2P software promotes free expression and is capable of substantial non-infringement uses.”
“The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announced on June 25, 2003, that it will file suit against people who use P2P file-sharing systems to create unauthorized copies of copyrighted materials. Since then, the RIAA is reported to have won hundreds of subpoenas in order to collect information for civil lawsuits that could be filed against individuals who are alleged to have illegally used file sharing programs.”
“I believe the recording industry has raised legitimate concerns about copyright infringement and, of course, that they have the right to take appropriate steps to protect their legal rights. However, I also believe that the privacy rights of individuals should not be compromised.”
“I will continue to carefully review this matter as the Courts and Congress further addresses these issues.
Sincerely, Carl Levin (Michigan)
Josh Avedisian
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