fairuseless.org

Giddyup for the RIAA Boycott Roundup.

Yeehaw!

Lifehacker declares war.

Here you go:

EFF: Sony BMG Settlement Info

Let's hold companies like Sony accountable.

RIAA et al. says CD ripping, backups not fair use

Here come the lawyers...

Sony hit by lawsuits over root kit | The Register...

And Illinois residents can add themselves to a possible class action coming from a law firm located there. [link]

Meanwhile, back at Congress, letters to the author's Senators have resulted in:

1) silence, and
2) a response about updating the Telecommunications Act of 1996 in order to address this issue.

Thus is the current level of interest/understanding by the author's representative government.

Recording Industry vs The People: First Annual Peer-to-Peer Litigation Summit

Boing Boing: It's legal to break DRM in Australia, sez High Court

Reuters.com: Music shipments down despite legal downloads rise

Even as we continue to transform ourselves and transition to the digital marketplace, the music community is still suffering enormously from the impact of various forms of music theft...

--Mitch Bainwol, chairman and CEO of the RIAA

And as previously stated here:

Every lost CD sale is chalked up to increased piracy, according to the RIAA, only leading the industry to develop more intrusive mechanisms for controlling content...

When is the industry going to look into itself and its members for the cause(s) of its current woes?

Lawrence Lessig has invited former RIAA President and "anti-piracy czar" (my words, not hers), Hilary Rosen to guest host his blog this week.

Fairuseless.org applauds Ms. Rosen for putting herself out there and engaging in an important dialogue. Hopefully others from all sides of the issue will follow in her and Larry's--and Professor Lessig's readership's--example.

Boing Boing: RIAA shuts down machinima site

There's nothing more to say, really, other than I realize that this isn't a life or death issue (yet), but somebody has to stand up against this sort of aggression. Peoples' civil liberties are being snuffed.

Slyck News - RIAA’s Grand Total: 10,037 - What are Your Odds?

Interesting view on your chances of getting "caught" as well as the notoriety and publicity generated on behalf of file-sharing products and services as a result of this sort of legal flailing.

Although articles such as these help illustrate the folly of the RIAA's tactics, they also tend to appeal to those who are prone to a kind of vigilantism or a Robin Hood complex of some form or another.

Fairuseless.org believes the over-zealousness on both sides of the file-sharing issue is only widening the gap. As the world has learned time and time again, extremism--in any form--can only generate net negative returns. Always.

Quieting the rancor needs to be the first step to a reasonable solution. The RIAA needs to stop its strong arm tactics and back off of its overly broad view on piracy. File-sharers, on the other hand, need to stop their flouting of the law by ceasing to download and mass-distribute content that they don't have rights to.

Starting there and then discussing the nature of usage and ownership in a thoughtful and intelligent manner may yield some more productive options. Fairuseless.org believes there is room for compromise. There should be reasonable extensions AND limits to use. Sharing and rights protection don't have to be mutally exclusive.

Both sides seem to have polarized to the most extreme positions they could possibly take and as a result have simply stopped thinking. Let's get creative.

Recording Industry's File Sharing Complaints Don't Hold Water

I've read the recent RIAA Report (PDF) and I have to agree with Mr. Newton. File-sharing is not the same thing as piracy. I'm not willing to go so far as to say file-sharing isn't capable of hurting the industry and artists, but let's stop using the terms interchangeably. Doing so only inhibits the ability to have an intelligent debate on the matter. The RIAA knows better. They think they benefit from this broader claim, but understanding the differences in what is going on in each situation--and calling them out, may lead to a more productive discussion and hopefully a resolution that works for consumers, artists, and the industry alike.

On movement in my view of the "Future of Music"... (plasticbag.org)

The RIAA seems to be redoubling its ligitious activities--now peering (pun most definitely intended) into semi-private networks.

Columbia Spectator - RIAA Gains Access to i2Hub

What's behind the latest surge? Could it be that The RIAA is sensing vulnerability on the part of the file-sharers... or is the RIAA feeling a bit vulnerable itself?

Forbes.com: College Students Download in Dorm Rooms

Don't let the title of this article fool you. This is different. Although, I'm not sure the RIAA is expecting the reader to track along. Apparently, they believe one way to find an answer to piracy is to change the question.

While subscription-based content may be a legitimate consumption model, ownership is still an option preferred by many. And even though technology and the mentioned "tethered" services may allow tighter control of content for the subscription-minded, those that license content by purchasing it outright have rights beyond those that "rent" it. We ought not forget that, nor should we let the entertainment industry confuse the two.