RIAA Says “Couldn’t Have Says It Better” On P2P
Or maybe they could have said nothing…
From the RIAA blog:
Sometimes something is said so perfectly that it’s not worth summarizing or paraphrasing. After documenting the extensive computer security and legal issues associated with illegal file sharing sites, an editorial entitled “Responsible Use of Eastern Network Every Student’s Responsibility” in the Daily Eastern News, the newspaper of Eastern Illinois University, concluded:
"As far as we are concerned, this is not a risk worth taking, and considering the illegality of the copyrighted digital file sharing and the legal alternatives, there are few excuses."
Share on:
I swear to God nothing happened just then
I know I’ve had a couple (okay, three) beers today, but I don’t think this is sufficient reason why I don’t see your point, Bruce.
Maybe some context would be in order: what isn’t a risk worth taking? File-sharing? Wish that were so. Documenting computer security and legal issues? Been there, done that. A pain, certainly. Responsible use of Eastern Network?
If the most obvious context, i.e. file-sharing is to be inferred, then I agree – it couldn’t be said better.
And yes, there are hardly any excuses (save, perhaps, that the item in question is out of print).
So why the “No RIAA” icon?
It’s a perfectly valid point for a university publication to make. Moral issues aside, the reason I don’t illegally download music/movies is the same I don’t cultivate mushrooms — the remote risk of getting caught, and severe consequences thereof.
My irritation derives from the RIAA reprinting it, as though the bankruptcy-inducing consequences of file-sharing are some immutable act of God and law enforcement. They conveniently omit that they themselves are the driving force that has extorted so much money and ruined so many, all to make ‘an example’. If you’ll forgive a hyperbolic analogy, it’s like someone pointing a gun at you and saying “it’d be a shame if somehow your own foolish actions resulted in a hole in your head”.