Overwritten.net
Community => General Discussion => Topic started by: idolminds on Monday, January 01, 2007, 09:09:20 PM
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Holy WFT (http://yro.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/01/01/2215257&from=rss)
$150,000 per song for each of the 11 million MP3s downloaded from the Russian AllofMP3.com between June and October last year.
To put that in perspective, the Rusian GDP is "only" $1.584 trillion (https://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/rs.html). The music industry in in America made $12 billion (http://www.riaa.com/news/newsletter/pdf/2005yrEndStats.pdf) last year.
So they are saying one site on the internet owes them 137 times the total money they made last year in damages.
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I can't say I'm surprised, Allofmp3 has been a serious thorn in the side of the RIAA. Seems completely frivolous considering that allofmp3 is a Russian site...
Whatever, they'll probably manage to have the operation shut down just like they've done with every other service in the past. 3 months afterward some other site will pop up with a new twist and start doing the same exact thing again.
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I've never heard of the site, but yeah that's pretty ridiculous. Since when can the RIAA sue for a fine anyway? Isn't that $150,000 a fine for breaking the law? I never realized it was payable to anyone other than the government.
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Basically it's an mp3 site out of Russia kind of similar to iTunes, except that you can purchase entire albums for around $0.99. Due to some seriously outdated copy protection laws in Russia, and the fact that copy protection laws apply to the country of origin the site is perfectly legal in Russia and until a court decides otherwise, in the US as well.
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That being the case (and if so, I'm glad) then why can the Russian site get sued? Wouldn't it be an exercise in futility? If they sue here, they can't force anyone in Russia to pay or do anything. If they sue in Russia, the court will dismiss the case, right? Where's the angle that lets the RIAA practice its megalomania on the Russians?
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The US/RIAA is pressuring Russia on their copyright laws. Pretty much the US said they wont allow Russia to join the World Trade Organization unless they change the copyright law. As far as I've read (I havent researched this much), Russia agreed and AllofMP3 will become illegal in Russia. The RIAA is just setting up to strike.
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Even so, the site was/is operating within the law, and can't be liable retroactively (1.65 trillion?!) for jack shit. It's all bullshit. I can see why Russia would end up buckling on this. Yay globalization. :(
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haha this site brings back memories. When mp3s first got popular I used to get all my music from there. Back then it was FREE. :)