AfterDawn: News

RIAA contractors accused of illegal investigation in New York

Yet another defendant in a RIAA file sharing lawsuit has decided to fight back. On behalf of his client Rolando Armurao, who is accused of illegally distribution of more than 500 songs using Limewire P2P software, Richard Altman filed a brief with the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York asking that all evidence collected by representatives of Media Sentry be thrown out of court due to the lack of a private investigator's license.

"Plaintiffs proceed in these copyright infringement cases based upon evidence of file-sharing or distribution derived from investigations conducted by Safenet, Inc., a private company operating under the name of Media Sentry," Altman's motion stated. Media Sentry is paid by record labels to find file sharers violating music industry copyrights and get enough information for RIAA lawyers to initiate court cases.



Altman told Computerworld that New York state law there are only a few circumstances where such evidence gathering doesn't require a license, and that the RIAA cases don't fall into the category of an exception. "This is a private company. So I've asked their evidence be excluded," he said

Although others have made similar claims about illegal, or at least questionable, RIAA investigatory practices in the past, to date these claims haven't been argued in the courtroom, with some settled out of court and at least one case, which the Oregon State Attorney General has gotten personally involved in, still pending.

Written by: Rich Fiscus @ 5 Feb 2008 23:20

• Previous article

• MSN video adds Sony BMG and MTV content

• Next article

• Copyright Royalty Board hears arguments over proposed songwriter royalties

• 9 comments

• nobrainer

  when the maffia tells the government what to do, and gets laws like the "DMCA" and bills introduced into the "Spy Act" to protect their DRM you know they are above the law. The RIAA/MPAA are not accountable in the US.
  

  The BPI Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
  
  The RIAA Soundexchange Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
  
  The IFPI Are: The same anti consumer lot as listed above!
  
  The MPAA Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, DISNEY, PARAMOUNT, FOX.
  
  How do you stop anti consumer = its easy purchase only second hand media and avoid their propertarian hobbled by DRM hardware! http://www.boycott-riaa.com/

  6.2.2008 03:36 #1

• cousinkix

  This mafia commission also owns the big US corporate media networks; so don't ever expect to hear objective reporting. Their illegal activites is not newsworthy either. Their political coverage stinks too. They avoid covering anybody, who is not one of their hos...
  
  ABC = Disney
  NBC = Universal
  CBS = SONY
  CNN = Time Warner
  FOX = 20th Century Fox studios

  6.2.2008 07:59 #2

• 7thsinger

  Quote:Although others have made similar claims about illegal, or at least questionable, RIAA investigatory practices in the pastThat's putting it lightly. It's disgusting to see how the RIAA is able to put whatever practices they feel neccessary, no matter the level of personal infringement, into play to gather "evidence" for their suits.

  6.2.2008 08:55 #3

• vurbal

  Originally posted by cousinkix: This mafia commission also owns the big US corporate media networks; so don't ever expect to hear objective reporting. Their illegal activites is not newsworthy either. Their political coverage stinks too. They avoid covering anybody, who is not one of their hos...
  
  ABC = Disney
  NBC = Universal
  CBS = SONY
  CNN = Time Warner
  FOX = 20th Century Fox studios
  Sony doesn't own CBS Television. They own what used to be CBS Records (Sony BMG Entertainment), which is an entirely different thing. CBS was at one point owned by Viacom, the company which also owns Paramount. A couple of years ago, Viacom and CBS split, with the new CBS Paramount Television including the TV network and television production assets. In other words they're not owned by Sony or any other company that owns a major music label.

  6.2.2008 23:43 #4

• varnull

  It's not just these american gangsters either...
  
  http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment...icle3315194.ece
  

  
  
  Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work.... Commercial "pay for" software = made by software developers who want paying... see where I'm going with this?

  7.2.2008 01:00 #5

• ChiefBrdy

  Hey RIAA! Looks like your strong-arm tactics aren't working so good anymore.
  
  You really need to go back to terroizing 8 year olds and grandmothers. Less resistance that way.
  
  Even better, you might start looking at disabled veterans, espcially the ones with mental disorders. They may not have the capacity to fight back.
  
  I hope you all die from cancer, you low life scumbags!

  9.2.2008 11:05 #6

• kubapolak

  That's about time somebody with some extra $$$ fought back, it is going to get expensive or it will die out.
  But I do like the strong comments on the RIAA, and how they go about doing business.

  11.2.2008 21:09 #7

• borhan9

  Hi Ho Hi Ho off to the silly season we go :)

  2.3.2008 07:03 #8

• Mez

  They are now down to 500+ songs shared! Not too long ago they were at 2000+. I think their tactics are working all too well. Maybe they have decided to become more random with their attacks. With 50 million users in just the US they can't all be even marginally smart.

  26.3.2008 14:34 #9