AfterDawn: News

Music industry to launch massive wave of lawsuits

Music industry's global lobby organization IFPI ("the mother of all RIAAs..") announced today that they are preparing to launch a massive lawsuit wave against P2P users in Europe, Asia and South America. South America is being targeted for the first time in record labels' jihad that has lasted for years now.

According to IFPI, file-sharers in Sweden, Argentina, Hong Kong, Singapore and Switzerland are among those being sued. The total number of lawsuits set to be launched this time is more than 2,100.



IFPI said that the legal actions have been targeted so far mostly towards young men between 20 and 30 years of age. The latest wave of lawsuits brings the total number of P2P users sued outside United States to 3,800 and includes P2P users in 16 countries.

Legal actions against P2P users today include 15 cases in Sweden, 22 in Hong Kong, 33 in Singapore and 10 in Argentina.

Source: Reuters via Yahoo!

Written by: Petteri Pyyny @ 15 Nov 2005 2:29

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• 31 comments

• evilh0ly

  god piz would UN or some world organization make a law that limit's an/a organization or corporation's lawsuit to a limit. this is getting out of hand.

  15.11.2005 06:16 #1

• GrayArea

  The RIAA (& IFPI) mantra.
  
  It's not working. Try it again.
  It's not working. Try it again.
  It's not working. Try it again.
  It's not working. Try it again.

  15.11.2005 08:02 #2

• nonoitall

  Looks like they want to turn away their customers in Europe, Asia and South America, too. Before the recording industry started these lawsuits, I would actually pay to buy a CD. I knew it was horribly over-priced, and I knew the artist only got a very small percentage of the money, but I didn't really mind that much, since it was what I had to do to support the artist. Now, I refuse to buy any music that the RIAA labels get a cut from. There are lots of other people out there who feel the same way I do, and IMO, the recording industry's lawsuits have done way more damage to artists than copyright infringement ever could. The labels that sue won't get a penny of mine until the lawsuits stop (and at their current rate, they'll go out of business before they get any of my money).

  15.11.2005 11:30 #3

• zarlaan

  I haven't bought a CD in probably... 4yrs and I don't download any either. I get all my music from the radio.
  
  Should I be handcuffed or fined?
  
  

  16.11.2005 01:05 #4

• myndphuk

  both

  16.11.2005 03:03 #5

• freshguy

  Quote:IFPI ("the mother of all RIAAs..")If that's the case then they are one big mother allright!

  16.11.2005 06:30 #6

• duckNrun

  I for one am ecstatic over these new lawsuits!
  The more people they can piss off in more countries means more hatred and loathing for them world wide.
  
  Yes, I know for whom the bell tolls (and sorry Metallica... I'm not stealing your title from a song, a title that you stole from somewhere else first lmao btw... fcuking sellouts!)
  
  

  16.11.2005 12:01 #7

• freshguy

  Quote:I for one am ecstatic over these new lawsuits!
  
  I'm glad you didn't say that you wax ecstatic duckNrun, or you would have had to apologize to Sponge along with Metallica. :) http://music.yahoo.com/release/61383

  16.11.2005 12:47 #8

• Ofnir1

  "the record labelsl jihad" HAHAHA

  17.11.2005 00:09 #9

• wannadie

  wont it be funny if all did so they be right an we be right how so well we would all use P2P and do what there saying where doing and second we all get sued haha can you see that then they be happy more like happy poor cuz there wouldn't be a customer left at all no customers no artist no music = No RIAA F the corp. world greedy lil mofo's

  17.11.2005 12:41 #10

• cqtoy

  You said it GREED. What about people that bought records and cassettes? Do they expect you to buy the same music in every new format that comes out?

  18.11.2005 07:20 #11

• duckNrun

  yes they do. And even more than that....
  
  If you want to listen to your music at home and work you should buy 2 cd's...one for home and one for work! And another for the mp3 player where you plan to stick most of your music as well!
  
  They now realize that they really dont like the idea of portable music and Sony (while enjoying the money they made off the Walkman) probably somewhat wish they didn't create it (though they still would like to keep the money from it!)
  

  18.11.2005 07:30 #12

• ghcltd

  After reading your article, looks like a discrimination lawsuit in in order against the IFPI. can you tell me why they are only sueing young men. Why no older men or women or for that matter teenagers
  sounds very gender orientated to me. The people who receive these lawsuits should tell the IPFI to get stuffed. I hope these peoples lawyers have a field day with these greedy idiots.

  18.11.2005 08:26 #13

• hermes_vb

  It's funny. Since all this RIAA/MPAA lawsuit frenzy started I have re-discovered my passion for reading and classical music...

  18.11.2005 12:06 #14

• rondack

  Why don't they just sue the whole ***king world and get it over with! ***HOLES

  18.11.2005 15:58 #15

• freshguy

  The sad truth seems to be a little more evident every day. Especially since most, if not all of the cases against Joe Average have been won without a trial, by the Music Mob. There's no way anyone can afford to risk losing the obscene amount of money that the IFPI and their ilk will surely be rewarded as whatever rights we have left, consumer or otherwise, as world citizens are seemingly for sale to the highest bidder.
  Yes this sends a not so happy message to the kids of today. It really doesn't matter how you play the game, as long as your golf partner is the Mayor. Rich Uncle Pennybags has beaten us again. "Haven't you learned your lesson yet?" he asks. Then, with a broad beaming smile, he serves you an enormous excrement enchilada.

  18.11.2005 18:18 #16

• fungyo

  Who are the real criminals here?
  
  The individual downloading music?
  (which has no extra costs associated with the reproduced copy, we can all do that free in our own time with free software)
  
  or
  
  the IFPI, RIAA etc, who believe its fair to sue the individual for thousands?
  add court costs and a possible criminal record, this could make life extremely hard for the individual if not destroying them, breaking up families and adding to further problems.
  
  Seems a little unjust and excessive for something which has little worth (except to the money hungry ****ers who want the latest bmw) and allows music to spread, be enjoyed by those less fortunate to have lots of cash and allows us to TRY BEFORE we BUY!!!
  
  Music brings so much goodness to ones soul. Let the goodness of music infect us ALL!!!

  18.11.2005 18:37 #17

• flip218

  rondack,
  
  Read the forum rules. Watch the language
  

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  18.11.2005 23:29 #18

• reelcheck

  I'm fairly uninformed on this P2P stuff. What about the sites where you pay an annual fee to download music etc. ie: My Music.com Legal or not?

  19.11.2005 01:11 #19

• freshguy

  I don't know for sure, reelcheck, but it seems like for every positive news report regarding P2P -
  
  http://news.com.com/2100-1032_3-5316570.html
  
  there are at least two negative reports.
  
  http://www.techspot.com/news/19385-grokster-shuts-down.html
  
  http://go.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=technologyNews&storyID=10292494&src=rss/technologyNews
  
  Organizations like the RIAA and the MPAA seem to subscribe to the theory of using a Tomahawk missle to take out a wasp's nest.

  19.11.2005 04:18 #20

• rondack

  Sorry they just tick me off. I'll watch it in the future.

  19.11.2005 04:38 #21

• dacinosh

  these P2P's are funny, the Grokster types strive to stay alive with any pocket cents to keep the website open which barely pays for the hosting, then get slapped with a $50 million fine. Why not just roll these dollars before into the business model and try going ligit ? Forget about this P2P crap, it cetainly doesn't bring in enough revenue in the long run, besides the majors hold 90% of the business anyway.
  My dig is, if you have a band then start your own website and promote internally, just like the old days until you GET NOTICED !! If you suck, then somebody will tell you sooner or later as you'll soon find just your neighbors will show up for your low paying gigs.
  
  sorry to be so crass....

  20.11.2005 06:59 #22

• reelcheck

  thanks for the info. I guess it's best to go to a pay-by-the-song site and cough up the .99!!!
  

  Gary

  20.11.2005 10:24 #23

• nonoitall

  Quote:I guess it's best to go to a pay-by-the-song site and cough up the .99!!!I'd say it's best not to support the music industry at all, but that's just my opinion.

  20.11.2005 10:47 #24

• rondack

  I agree with nonoitall!

  20.11.2005 12:57 #25

• david650

  They just don't get it.
  
  These lawsuits aren't doing anything to endear themselves to consumers, and all the DRM BS which has been going on recently isn't helping either...
  
  There is so much music available online - and much of it is 100% legal - that I could easily go the rest of my life without ever buying another CD again, and still never suffer from a lack of new music to listen to!
  
  (and chances are, that is exactly what I will do)
  
  For example, follow this link if you want to see a smorgasbord of FREE and LEGAL music to download:
  
  http://www.archive.org/audio/etreelisting-browse.php
  
  And of course, we all know that there are countless sources for not-so-legal downloads. To put it very simply, we don't need the music industry any more. If every single major record label went out of business tomorrow, none of us would miss them.
  
  What can they do, to survive? I don't know, but I do know this: Alienating their customers with lawsuits and copy protection is NOT the answer!
  
  Maybe they should all go work for the oil industry instead.
  

  20.11.2005 15:36 #26

• xhardc0re

  I've bought thousands of dollars worth of CDs from middle school through early college. I also D/l them, but hey we can't all afford what we'd like to hear. I figure if I was sued for d/l something, it would cost me much more then all the CDs I bought over the years. (And most of those scratched up, damaged CDs i keep in my garage)
  
  If the RIAA keeps this up, [B]I will stop the purchase of all music[/B] and they will never again get a single dime of my money. Is that what they want? P**s off the ppl enough, and that is what will be coming. Jerkoffs.

  21.11.2005 06:08 #27

• freshguy

  Quote:They just don't get it.
  
  These lawsuits aren't doing anything to endear themselves to consumers, and all the DRM BS which has been going on recently isn't helping either...I Honestly believe that they don't have a clue about how to relate to consumers in today's world. Ever since the days of having only 3 channels on TV and all music sold was on vinyl, they were the only game in town and it was their way or the highway. They never have had to look at their consumers as anything but a bunch of helpless suckers who were just made to be ripped-off and taken advantage of. Certainly not as customers who should be catered to, or even treated fairly, for that matter. Well thanks to a little thing known as technology, they are no longer the only game in town, and frankly, this ticks them off to no end. Just like a spoiled brat who has had his lollipop taken away by his mother, they are lashing out in anger, which is the only thing that they know how to do. I believe that their thinking is that they can legislate away all of this technology and thereby put the genie back in their bottle. God help us all if they do succeed.

  21.11.2005 06:44 #28

• whoozhe

  Bring it on. I will just sit back and watch the record industry self destruct.
  Protecting Intellectual property. That's a laugh because there is very little intelligence in the rubbish the record companies pump out.
  Would love to see which Argentinian court would even hear a suit brought on by a prominently USA orginization.

  23.11.2005 14:48 #29

• SamTheDog

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  28.11.2005 05:34 #30

• Nephilim

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  28.11.2005 12:03 #31