Clear Channel Shows RIAA A Non-Infringing Use Of File-Sharing Networks

from the maybe-they'll-destroy-each-other dept

Thu, Jul 12th 2007 9:33pm — Carlo Longino

A few years back, while the RIAA was trying to shut down file-sharing networks, it regularly claimed that there were no non-infringing uses of them -- though that claim was undermined by the fact that the music industry regularly uses data from such networks for market research purposes. Perhaps because of this, the RIAA's quieted down a bit on this front, and shifted its legal strategy to sue its customers instead. Now, in a move that will probably raise the ire of the RIAA, a unit of radio giant Clear Channel is now selling file-sharing data to radio stations to help them shape their playlists. Clear Channel's Premiere Radio Networks Mediabase unit is marketing the data from BigChampagne, the company that's been tracking file-sharing for some time. The RIAA, despite its general distaste for file-sharing, seems to have been largely content to let BigChampagne operate quietly and make a business on the back of the P2P networks the group has tried to shut down; it's not clear if Clear Channel getting involved will change that. What's interesting to note, though, is that Clear Channel and the RIAA might be heading for a collision course, should this development rub it the wrong way. While the two camps are seen by many people to share an anti-consumer ideology, the two are increasingly at odds as their financial concerns butt heads. First was Clear Channel's unhappiness with new webcasting royalty rates, then the RIAA's demand that radio stations pay royalties for promoting its members' music. Could profiting from a non-infringing use of P2P networks represent further escalation between the two?

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Companies: clear channel

14 Comments

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Charles Griswold, 12 Jul 2007 @ 10:14pm

Who to root for?
RIAA bad.
Clear Channel bad.
RIAA fighting Clear Channel.

Head hurt. X-(
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T.J., 12 Jul 2007 @ 10:23pm

Well hopefully they'll fight it out to the death. That way we'll have one down at least. Or just focus all their attention on each other, and let a capitalist society do what it does.
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The infamous Joe, 13 Jul 2007 @ 3:58am

Silly Hydra.
One head fighting the other-- perfect. :)
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Jul 2007 @ 5:56am

Another great use for file sharing networks is finding drivers and patches for older PC hardware.
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Luke, 13 Jul 2007 @ 6:24am

Clear Channel...
Hopefully Clear Channel will win. While annoying and controlling of the air waves if they win at least it'll have a chance of knocking the RIAA down a peg in the "go after everybody and their mother" legal ability. Plus, Clear Channel could help get the web royalty rates pushed down to something sensible.
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Border, 13 Jul 2007 @ 6:29am

The enemy
The enemy of my enemy is... still my enemy in this case!
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Jul 2007 @ 6:31am

Another use is to download linux distros. Most offer them in torrents and to be fair they download way faster then direct http download from there servers.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Jul 2007 @ 7:04am

If I owned Clear Channel and the RIAA tried to force me to pay royalties, I would no longer play anything that wasn't royalty free, and allow any artist to offer their own music to be played on the radio. Besides, music artists don't make much money from their music. They make most of their money by touring and selling records. Their are plenty of Indy record companies that do not belong to the RIAA who would love to have their artists' music played on Clear Channel stations.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Jul 2007 @ 8:01am

Re:
Your completely missing the point. Under new legislation the RIAA camp collects money from the station whether or not they are represented by the RIAA. Then the artist has to join the little club to see any of the money.

Id love to slap the person responsible for that. Or lead a paintball assault on them. God that would be sweet. OOps echelon is looking. *Conforms*
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The infamous Joe, 13 Jul 2007 @ 8:45am

Detail.
Or lead a paintball assault on them

Using frozen paintballs filled with lead paint. ;)
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Anonymous Coward, 14 Jul 2007 @ 12:34pm

does anybody really read all this???
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John, 16 Jul 2007 @ 8:42am

Yes!
Yes Anonymous Coward, people do read all of this! Our company makes a file-sharing app that is used mainly for the legitimate sharing of files between friends & family. People use GigaTribe ( http://www.gigatribe.com ) to avoid the hassle of email attachments when sending large numbers of pictures or huge files between each other; it's file-sharing within a private network, so you don't have access to millions of files, just a couple thousand!
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jb, 16 Jul 2007 @ 5:42pm

Re: Yes!
This is how I found Gigatribe. I do not care, if i buy and want to share screw them, they (RIAA) will never win. I rip and share all of the movies and cds I want, they cannot stop any of us. I wish they sent me one of those ridiculous threat of lawsuit letters, I would bury them in legal paperwork, or just ignore them like anyone else who has sued me in the past. Nobody can make you pay them , only the taxman, you have to pay him.
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karry, 1 Dec 2008 @ 4:46am

Re: Re: Yes!
I would no longer play anything that wasn't royalty free, and allow any artist to offer their own music to be played on the radio. Besides, music artists don't make much money from their music. They make most cheap battery of their money by touring and selling records. Their are plenty of Indy record companies that do not belong to the RIAA who would love to have their artists' music played on Clear Channel stations.
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