RIAA Dirty Tricks: Gathering Private Info On Kids Of Accused File Sharer
from the how-nice dept
The recording industry certainly has a history of dirty tricks when it comes to the various lawsuits they're involved in. Last year, for example, it came out that they had stalked the CEO of Sharman Networks (makers of Kazaa) with a 24-hour surveillance program that lasted several months. The latest is that they're apparently trying to intimidated Patricia Santangelo by investigating her kids. While certainly not the first person to stand up to the RIAA when accused of file sharing she claims she didn't do, Patricia Santangelo has become quite a thorn in the side of the RIAA since her case was revealed. She's been publicly standing up to the RIAA and won't back down -- like many others who initially resisted, but eventually settled. Even after losing her original lawyer, she has continued to fight. The RIAA's latest tactic, as submitted by Jon, is to reveal to Santangelo and her new lawyer that they've been investigating her children, and have been able to collect a lot of non-public information. The RIAA will probably claim that the info is related to the case, but it certainly borders on using scare tactics, and trying to intimidate Santangelo into backing down.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
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I've got a bridge to sell you...
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Excuse me it isn't the 1950's anymore. RIAA IS capitalism at it's worst.
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The riaa is anti-capitalist, and not capitalistic at all. They supress the free market as well as the little guy. They have applied pressure to many free market products and have threatened Sirius, XM and other companies if they did not submit to the riaa's will and way. That is anything but capitalism.
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Re: No Subject Given
The modern so-called "capitalism" has indeed become a grotesque monstrosity that must be stopped.
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A problem, but where is the solution?
Well stated. "textbook" Marxist Communism is not an evil idea on paper either, nor is textbook Capitalism.
It just so happens that goverments have allowed perversion of their ideas to be put into practice; and that is what makes these ideas good or bad.
Idealism vs. Reality in Pratice.
On the topic at hand however, citizens seem to all agree that the "--AA's" are manipulating the system... This topic comes up repeatedly here on Techdirt.
So my question is, how do we solve this problem and make the voice of the people heard? Last I checked the USA was a Democracy, right? Authority only granted by concensus of the people?
Or is it that the "average" person is unaware, or just doesn't care enough?
Either way, we should put our efforts into supporting organizations that can use our collaberative power as leverage, since we can't change a thing on our own. I suppose the only solutions to these ongoing abuses will require a REAL BOYCOTT and massive public CIVIL DISOBEDIANCE.
So, hit 'em where it hurts, in the pocketbook!
Check out websites that support efforts to boycott, such as http://www.boycott-riaa.com and don't feed their empire by EVER buying a CD or paying for a song. The real music is out there, it's just not being promoted anymore. Buy a cd from your favorite local band, or a T-shirt.
Pirate anything else, because you know the money doesn't go to the artists anyhow, if you have to...
This thing is never going to end until the record company conglomorates run out of money to sue their own customers with... our politicians are not going to solve this problem for us, there's no money in it.
The power is in OUR hands, but only if we make an organized effort.
ORGANIZE, BOYCOTT, and EDUCATE... and we can kill these aggregious abuses of privacy and power.
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Yup
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Re: RIAA and capitalism
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RIAA is an institution
If the government wanted they could keep throwing money int this effort forever, and there's not a damn thing the taxpayer could do about it.
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Give it up RIAA. You guys had a good run for many decades, but now you are behind the curve. You didn't jump into online distribution fast enough and you lost your edge. now the indies can smell your blood in the water and they're starting to cirle you. We recognize these frivolous lawsuits as last ditch efforts to retain your crumbling empire.
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They Honestly need a life. Why dont they instead of trying to stop Mp3's they try and make something better than them? Theyre just running around in circles. Mp3s will never go away, unless something better comes along
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RIAA does child pornography too
Here's one better for you; if RIAA is following around these children on video - at some point during these children's days, couldn't the RIAA also be accused of [b]child pornography[/b]?
and, couldn't the RIAA save a bunch of cash by not spending it on all these stupid lawsuits? I mean, how much have they spent in relation to home much they have actually "retrieved" from the public? ...or is this all just scare tactics to "show" everyone that piracy is bad.
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Re: RIAA does child pornography too
(i) that shows a person who is or is depicted as being under the age of eighteen years and is engaged in or is depicted as engaged in explicit sexual activity, or
(ii) the dominant characteristic of which is the depiction, for a sexual purpose, of a sexual organ or the anal region of a person under the age of eighteen years.
What's being discussed doesnt fall under any of that either. It MIGHT fall under harrassment, but I think thats as far as it could go, from a legal stand point. Does it make it right? No. But until we get elected officials in office who are immune to the money being thrown around all I can say is C'est La Vie.
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gramma mamma
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Re: gramma mamma
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Fight RIAA they way you know how..
1. Don't Buy CD's
2. Don't Purchase MP3's EACH MP3 that is purchased is tracked and its on your name, your better off just using Limewire.
If they don't have any money, they will go bankrupt.
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Re: Fight RIAA they way you know how..
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I must be getting older...
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Re: I must be getting older...
I do not download it, free or otherwise, and I refuse to let anyone buy it for me. I am boycotting the music industry entirely. It's broadcast over the radio, or nothing.
You're in a band? Want to make millions? Then show me some talent and I'll go to your show. Want it? Earn it!
I can't put my network administration on a DVD and sell it to the company I work for. I worked hard in school and got myself the education I need to not be a flash-in-the-pan or a 1-hit-wonder.
Get your act together, RIAA, before I do some math and figure that you've cost me Billions of dollars in wasted time and electrons over this crap.
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Re: I must be getting older...
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Re: I must be getting older...
Does this apply to Rap, Classical and Foreign music as well?
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Re: I must be getting older...
Great "sound byte"!
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RIAA doesn't understand capitalism
The recording industry thinks getting a song played 4 times an hour will make people buy the CD. Instead, it makes it less likely that I'll buy the CD, since I'm sick of hearing the song.
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Re: RIAA doesn't understand capitalism
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Re: RIAA doesn't understand capitalism
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Investigate the RIAA
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Payola
However, many of the RIAA members are guilty of Payola, which the NYS Atty General is now looking into.
Because of their illegal Payola acts, they have illegally and unnaturally boosted the value of their copyrights, and of course their profits, etc.
Sounds like a class action suit to me.
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Privacy
Tell me why the RIAA is not being investigated by the same people that find it appalling that the federal government is above the law when getting wire taps without a warrant? Is private industry less accountable than our government?? You can hardly turn on the TV without Bush and his administration getting raked over the coals over collecting information about private citizens. Should those in the Record Industry who ordered the investigation of this lady's children be put under the same microscope for their tactics.
I am not saying that illegal wire taps are good but at least it has been pubicly stated they are to protect us from terrorism. The RIAA is only trying to protect themselves from a better product offering.
Does anyone else find this only slightly scary that scrutiny is only found in our public officials but entertainment industry is somehow exempt from our right to privacy?
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Fuck em
PLEASE surveil me.
I need target practice with my new Glock.
Pretty please?
Sincerely,
Pat, a music stealer/file sharer
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RIAA Idiots
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Re: RIAA Idiots
At least until the record company renegoates (sp) the contract that is....
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Spying on kids
http://hatestheright.blogspot.com/
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heh
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Shouldn't be allowed.
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No Subject Given
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Who's on first?
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MTV Cribs
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If your mother says she loves you, check it out
The story at p2pnet is outrageous. Fortunately, we seem to have gotten through Friday and Saturday night without anyone pulling a "Deadeye-Dick" Cheney.
But this story needs verification.
The New York State Attorney Directory has an entry for Jordan D. Glass. Findlaw's Lawyer Directory also has an entry. But attempting to email Mr. Glass using the Findlaw form, I've gotten a "550 No such user" bounce.
I have a hard time believing that any attorney would make these comments. I'm well aware that the remarks attributed to Mr. Glass are no more than a mirror of what the RIAA has said about his clients and others. But it's outrageous when the RIAA says these things too.
This story needs verification.
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No Subject Given
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I just don't get it....
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Re: I just don't get it....
"hello officer, theres some strange man videoing my children... No I don't recognise him... Well its kind of creepy... What you can be there soon?... Thank you officer, we can't be too careful..."
click.
i think someone used the same trick vs some ambulance chasing legal types in the uk after they started harassing kids outside schools..
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Anti-Stalker
Main problem is, they have to bend privacy laws their way to do this.. given the current political climate. Wait, when the democrats get into power, they'll start building hard-labor prisons for mp3 bandits as they are the other side of this evil plot against the american people. There would be a much more censored, policed internet today if these 'special interests' got their way...wow, kinda like CHINA!
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Re: RIAA investigating Santangelo children
It should, however, be included in the list of possible attempts to watch, stalk, and identify the activities of the children.
Some of these could be construed as attempts at identity theft since the "investigation" could possibly target the computers used by the children in their home. Isn't hacking a crime? Isn't identity theft a crime? Isn't the act of listening (recorded or not) to all communications illegal without a court order? Especially when conducted by a non-government employee (i.e., private investigator hired by RIAA).
Wiretapping is thought to be eavesdropping on the phone. But it is written as communication, and the household computer(s) used by the children "communicate" over wire, so snooping this trafic is covered by several legalities from unlawful wiretapping, to stalking, to hacking, to attempting to collect info for identity theft.
And how come Mrs Santangelo, or some anti-RIAA group, funded similar investgations on the RIAA representatives and their children?
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No Subject Given
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RIAA is dieing...fast
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A lil late post
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BOYCOTT!!!!!!
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BOYCOTT!!!!!!
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