Since the RIAA have launched 261 lawsuits against users illegaly sharing copyrighted files, 64 have greeed to settlements (52 named in lawsuits) and 1 case has been dropped. These cases were originally filed on users that were sharing on average more than 1,000 copyrighted songs over file sharing networks.
The RIAA have also received 838 affidavits under its amnesty program. This is where users must destroy all unauthorised downloaded tracks including those on CD-Rs, promise never to illegally share or download anymore copyrighted music and send a completed, notarized amnesty form to the RIAA including a copy of their photo ID!
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The Recording Industry Association of America, a trade group that represents the five major record companies, said in a statement Monday that 52 of the 261 people named in the copyright-infringement suits have agreed to settle. The RIAA said it filed the highly publicized suits against computer users who were distributing, on average, more than 1,000 music files using file-sharing services. Another dozen individuals -- in the RIAA's sights for the number of files they shared, but not named in lawsuits -- also agreed to settlements. All told, 64 individuals have agreed to settlements. The RIAA also said it received 838 affidavits under its so-called "clean-slate program," which offers amnesty to online music swappers who promise to stop sharing files. "We are heartened by the response we have seen so far," The RIAA said in the statement. RIAA spokeswoman Amanda Collins declined to comment on what the record companies will receive under the settlements. The suits, filed Sept. 8 in courts across the country, sought payment of damages as well as legal costs. The industry blames online file sharing for causing a sharp decline in sales of compact discs during the past three years. |
It seems the RIAA have gotten away with their subpoena's by tracking down heavy file sharers and issuing lawsuits. There are good chances that those 261 users who have been issued lawsuits will not buy any more CDs and this may include the majority of their friends, relatives, neighbours and so on. It may not sound a lot, but there is enough
publicity that could make people rethink about whether to purchase
their next album or boycott the RIAA by deliberately getting a CD-R copy off a
friend or purchasing from an illegal CD stall.
Source: Yahoo Financial News
