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Riaa target computerless
Riaa target computerless
seattlepi.nwsource.com

Music industry targets even computer-less
By TED BRIDIS
AP TECHNOLOGY WRITER
WASHINGTON -- The recording industry has filed 41 more lawsuits against computer users in at least 11 states it said were caught illegally distributing songs over the Internet, continuing its aggressive campaign against online music piracy.
The latest copyright suits this week bring to 382 filed since the Washington-based Recording Industry Association of America announced its legal campaign nearly six months ago.
The group's president, Cary Sherman, said the group has no plans to cut back, even as media coverage over the continuing lawsuits wanes.
"People who engage in illegal file-sharing should be aware, whether or not they hear about it this month, that doesn't mean the enforcement program has been reduced in any way," Sherman said. "If anything it will be increased."
The recording industry is monitoring popular Internet services where computer users can download song files, searching for people illegally distributing the largest music collections. Court-issued subpoenas compel Internet providers to identify their customers linked to the online accounts used to download songs.
Among the RIAA's recent targets is retiree Ernest Brenot, 79, of Ridgefield, Wash., who wrote in a handwritten note to a federal judge that he does not own a computer nor can he operate one.
Brenot was accused of illegally offering for download 774 songs by artists including Vanilla Ice, U2, Creed, Linkin Park and Guns N' Roses.
Brenot's wife, Dorothy, said she and her husband were stunned by the claims, offended at the suggestion they listened to such music. Brenot was targeted in the previous round of 80 suits the recording organization filed late in October.
Brenot and her husband said their son-in-law briefly added Internet service to their own cable television account while living with the couple because Comcast Cable Communications Inc. said it would add a surcharge to send separate bills to the same mailing address.
"There's a mistake in this case," Dorothy Brenot said. "We're innocent in all of this, but I don't know how we're going to prove it."
The 41 most recent suits were filed against Internet users in Massachusetts, Colorado, Arizona, Connecticut, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Florida, Tennessee, Georgia, Illinois and Washington.
The recording industry also said Wednesday that it has reached financial settlements against at least 220 computer users. Defense lawyers familiar with some of the cases have said penalties ranged from $2,500 to $7,500 each.
Posted by: cybershoplifter   Posted on: 12/04/03 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use
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The RIAA always make the pie charts display what they want  FilledOut | 12/04/03
Anti RIAA Sticker now On Your Christmas CD's  cybershoplifter | 12/04/03
GREAT POST!  XXXXSATANXXXX | 12/04/03
Again.....That's hilarious!  Jack-Booted EULA | 12/04/03
could they have been anymore brazen!  cybershoplifter | 12/04/03
You rock but.....  master of illusion | 12/05/03
Only One Real Measure for RIAA Success  markdoiron | 12/04/03
Not to mention  tic swayback | 12/04/03
What secure P2P network  voska | 12/04/03
RIAA sues for a whooping 9 songs  cybershoplifter | 12/04/03
The numbers are real...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/04/03
?You?ll be sued for Christmas??  cybershoplifter | 12/04/03
Bittie, he discovered p2p because of the RIAA  cybershoplifter | 12/04/03
The numbers are misleading  tic swayback | 12/04/03
I like Bit Torrent these days  cybershoplifter | 12/04/03
DC, BitTorrent, Ares, all rapidly gaining users  cjules13 | 12/04/03
REAL numbers?  Joe Blow_z | 12/04/03
The Obvious Truth here  voska | 12/04/03
Alternatives abound, not really dropping  AbsolutelyNot | 12/04/03
Thank you so much...  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/04/03
Bittie do U think this is bogus?  cybershoplifter | 12/04/03
or this?  cybershoplifter | 12/04/03
or was it this?  cybershoplifter | 12/04/03
this? Explain yourself, man!  cybershoplifter | 12/04/03
Viva DRM!!  cybershoplifter | 12/04/03
But what do they mean?  Anton Philidor | 12/04/03
When customers become thieves.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/04/03
You need to know what customer is  voska | 12/04/03
Tell you what  tic swayback | 12/04/03
acting like a twit on a complex issue  cybershoplifter | 12/04/03
How complex is theft?  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/04/03
Too complex for you to understand  tic swayback | 12/04/03
Too complex for you to understand the nuances, obviously  AbsolutelyNot | 12/04/03
That's the problem  voska | 12/05/03
Sometimes I try a grape before buying  Anton Philidor | 12/04/03
So What...  Patrick Jones | 12/04/03
Correction (I really miss the preview feature)  Patrick Jones | 12/04/03
even the article mentions iTMS  ryusen | 12/04/03
Not at those price points  AbsolutelyNot | 12/04/03
Personally,  ryusen | 12/04/03
This really equals them cheating the legal system.  Arrg | 12/04/03
Riaa target computerless  cybershoplifter | 12/04/03
handwritten note to a federal judge...  cybershoplifter | 12/04/03
Not true, he blamed his son.  No_Ax_to_Grind | 12/04/03
Corrections  tic swayback | 12/04/03
why does bit acts like a twit?  cybershoplifter | 12/04/03
cybershoplifter! give it up  nite_w0lf | 12/04/03
i hate myself when i do it......  cybershoplifter | 12/04/03
Replies From RIAA  ParadigmOdyssey | 12/04/03
File sharer is not a thief  Arrg | 12/04/03
My theory  voska | 12/04/03
Close  tic swayback | 12/04/03
And the profits are up, not down  AbsolutelyNot | 12/04/03
Still downloading off of Kazaa but......  jonnormand | 12/16/03

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