AfterDawn: News

Music piracy release group members found not guilty by jury

Rabid Neurosis (RNS), the once popular music release group was taken down last year by authorities working on tips from the RIAA.

A few of the most prominent members were arrested and charged with conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement.



This week, Matthew Chow of RNS has been found not guilty by a jury. Additionally, Adil Cassim of the group has been found not guilty as well.

"I am relieved by the jury's verdict and I am grateful to my attorney for his hard work," says Chow. Adds his lawyer: "We encountered some extremely complex factual and legal issues in this case. The jury was very attentive during the trial. Their verdict was just."

The three other RNS members that were charged had already plead guilty and gave testimony for the prosecution.

Chow and Cassim were facing up to five years in prison and a $250,000 USD fine.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 23 Mar 2010 12:01

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• 5 comments

• Pop_Smith

  Finally some justice. Too bad the other three members decided to plead guilty as the whole crew could have been found not guilty.
  
  Honestly, releasing music should not be a crime. The music industry just needs to adapt to a model were it distributes CD-quality (i.e. FLAC) music for prices similar to iTunes without DRM.
  
  I'd buy music if it was CD-quality (again, in a format like FLAC) without DRM.
  

  http://www.megavideo.com/?v=V1VZAD0O <-- Brian Regan "Take Luck" video.

  23.3.2010 13:30 #1

• DVDBack23

  Originally posted by Pop_Smith: Finally some justice. Too bad the other three members decided to plead guilty as the whole crew could have been found not guilty.
  
  Honestly, releasing music should not be a crime. The music industry just needs to adapt to a model were it distributes CD-quality (i.e. FLAC) music for prices similar to iTunes without DRM.
  
  I'd buy music if it was CD-quality (again, in a format like FLAC) without DRM. Pop, can you imagine if in, let's say 2002, the music industry said "Hey, let's release 128kbps MP3 files for $.50 a song with no DRM, and make it easy too (like Amazon MP3, iTunes, etc)" They could have curbed piracy right then and there.
  
  After 10 years of almost daily piracy, you are going to be very hard pressed to find someone from "Gen Y" willing to pay $1.29 for a song. Now if they had offered it for cheaper, almost a decade ago...
  

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  23.3.2010 13:58 #2

• beanos66

  Quote:The three other RNS members that were charged had already plead guilty and gave testimony for the prosecution. made me chuckle
  
  everybody else keep shtum
  

  23.3.2010 15:38 #3

• HUNCHBAK

  I would like to personally send a big "you got exactly what you deserved" to the other 3 members of the group. Not because I believe music and movie piracy is a bad thing...no they got what they deserved for snitching their fellow members out and giving testimony for the prosecution. See if they had kept their mouths shut they could be sending the bird to the RIAA and "The Authorities" that went after them. BEWARE HORRIBLE PUN AHEAD!!! Now the only BIRDS in their future are themselves...JAILBIRDS!!!
  Sorry I warned you there was to be a shameless pun/joke ahead.
  

  23.3.2010 17:54 #4

• DJ Blur (unverified)

  read from some other site: “Matt was probably among the lowest (of RNS participants), but he was indicted because he was one of the ones they could identify. He did not do anything to spoof or hide his name, so they were able to locate him down here in Texas.”
  
  How did he get off though, if he was obviously involved.. maybe they just couldn't prove it entirely.

  28.3.2010 03:13 #5