FSF Sets Up Fund To Pay For Experts Who Can Show How Flimsy RIAA Evidence Is

from the oh-so-flimsy dept

For years, people have been pointing out that the evidence the RIAA often uses in lawsuits against people for file sharing is often quite flimsy. While there's no doubt that many of the people the RIAA goes after are guilty of unauthorized file sharing, that doesn't rationalize the use of questionable evidence that can often suggest completely innocent people were engaged in file sharing. Of course, it's one thing to say the evidence is flimsy, and it's another thing altogether to bring experts into court who can convince a judge (or jury). The Free Software Foundation has now decided to create a fund (for which it's seeking donations) to help pay for expert witnesses to combat the RIAA's evidence in cases. Lawyer Ray Beckerman, who has been quite vocal in fighting the RIAA will help advise the fund and determine which lawsuits deserve money from the fund for an expert witness. It's really too bad that such a fund is even needed -- and it should (though won't) be a wakeup call to the recording industry to see that so many people are sick of these lawsuits that they would fund such a thing in the first place.

Filed Under: copyright, evidence, flimsy, fsf, ray beckerman
Companies: riaa