The RIAA has asked the US congres for federal funding to combat the big problem of piracy. The RIAA said the additional funds are needed for investigations and cases.
Specifically, the RIAA is requesting the funds be used to create additional squads or units for a program called Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property, which is part of the Justice Department's initiative to fight cybercrime. Although the RIAA applauded the creation of CHIP, it said it is concerned that CHIP's main focus will be on computer hacking and not on intellectual property. The RIAA requested in its testimony that these CHIP units make intellectual property a top priority. |
"Piracy is not a private offense," Hilary Rosen, president of the RIAA, said in a statement. "It hurts everyone by diminishing the incentive to invest in the creation of music. It should not, therefore, be viewed as a crime only against authors, performers, composers, musicians, record companies, distributors, wholesalers and retailers, but against each of us."
The hearing comes against a backdrop of frustration over the ongoing problem of piracy within the music industry. The RIAA said the number of arrests and indictments for music piracy are up 113 percent from 2000 to 2001; meanwhile, guilty pleas and convictions were up 203 percent and sight seizures up 170 percent for that same period. The RIAA added that 2.8 million unauthorized CD-R (CD-recordable) discs were seized in 2001, compared to 1.6 million in 2000.
Uhmmm, I won't say a thing ....
Source: ZDnet.com
