P2P Kazaa Law Suits

[Tom Tom]

OK

I don't know if any one has read the stories but about 200(+) people in the US have been charged with sharing music files on P2P software like Kazaa. They are cracking down on this piracy (ohh arr) and fining people up to £100,000 per song on their hard drive.

I know that these tools of the internet can sometimes help people to discover new music and then buy the album (of course not every one does this)

But with CD's DVD's etc being so expensive what do they expect?

To bring it to a paintball level. you type Paintball into a search field and for those people who had never heard of tourney stuff have instant acess to great games between great teams.

Any one got any views on this?

 

[camsmith]

One thing I've heard (my opinion, not legal fact) is that the companies are starting in the US, as the legal system over there allows them to make money out of it.

In the UK, I believe it would be much more difficult to prosecute to the same degree, as there is no notion of punitive damages over here. This means that the judge can't say "You've been such a naughty boy that you should pay this multi-million-dollar-per-year company a few thousand dollars, which is a pittance to them, but likely to put you in debt for a while."

It's more likely to be "You've been a naughty boy, but as the company can't prove that you've actually lost business for them, all I can do is give you a criminal record". Why would the company bother with that?

 

[JoseDominguez]

Would you walk into Woolworths and steal an album? (the physical CD is worth pennies......as is the package)

Downloading is exactly the same.......and all the "it's too expensive" arguments don't cut it......... it's entertainment not an essential.

It's theft, pure and simple, and it's on a massive scale.

Go to HMV.......did you know they now have a 21 day money back guarantee? even if you don't like an album you can take it back.

You download because it's easy and hard to get caught.....not because you believe it's not a crime..........be honest with yourself.

So the record companies make a fortune? big deal.......does that mean thieving is OK as long as the victim is rich?

Sorry, but it's just a pet hate of mine........ a multi million pound crime no one gives a crap about.

Why should I (and the millions like me) that buy albums fund the thieves?

As for the paintball level......... I bet the companies love the fact that you can rip copies of their product for free.........makes all of the effort worth it. Ahhhhh.....we've lost thousands, but at least some people have stolen copies.

 

[manike]

On a similar note, is it ok for them to fix the price of CD's?

Why does a CD cost so much more here than say in the USA? Same thing for a DVD?

Why can't I buy a DVD in the USA and have it work here? Could it be because they can fix the price here and extort more money from me?

 

[IanC]

Originally posted by manike
On a similar note, is it ok for them to fix the price of CD's?

Why does a CD cost so much more here than say in the USA? Same thing for a DVD?

Why can't I buy a DVD in the USA and have it work here? Could it be because they can fix the price here and extort more money from me?

Region coding on DVDs really serves no purpose. Films are not released on DVD in the US before the cinema here are they?

What region coding does do is prevent DVD's coming into the country outside proper channels ensuring duty and vat are paid to the government. Which keeps things nice and legal. Legalised theft perhaps......

 

[Buddha 3]

Jose nailed it pretty much on the head.
But don't go getting your panties in a bunch just yet. The institutions responsible for things like royalties and what not are not that interested in you and those few tracks you got on your drive.
Simply put you are allowed to have music on your drive, in the same way that you are allowed to buy a CD and make a copy for personal use, either on CD or tape. You are even allowed to borrow a 'music carrier' from a friend and make a copy for yourself. The problem is the people who turn this into a 'business', and with all this online exchanging of media files nobody is really sure where the distinction lies between being just another nobody with some copies, and being a hardcore bootlegger. The aim now is to create precendent that can be used in the future.
None of the instutions have enough manpower to go after everybody anyway.

How do I know? Simple, I know someone who works as a royalty accountant at one of those thingamajobs...

Simon, about those CD and DVD prices, I fear that's mostly a British problem......over here CD's cost about the same as in the US, as do DVD's.....

 

[L J]

**** no more free porn for me

 

[camsmith]

Same sort of thing goes on with computer programs... perhaps Colin Graham (Red Merkin) will have a chance to give us an insight into computer games piracy at the same time.

 

[Tom Tom]

Originally posted by JoseDominguez
Would you walk into Woolworths and steal an album? (the physical CD is worth pennies......as is the package)

Downloading is exactly the same.......and all the "it's too expensive" arguments don't cut it......... it's entertainment not an essential.

It's theft, pure and simple, and it's on a massive scale.

Go to HMV.......did you know they now have a 21 day money back guarantee? even if you don't like an album you can take it back.

You download because it's easy and hard to get caught.....not because you believe it's not a crime..........be honest with yourself.

So the record companies make a fortune? big deal.......does that mean thieving is OK as long as the victim is rich?

Sorry, but it's just a pet hate of mine........ a multi million pound crime no one gives a crap about.

Why should I (and the millions like me) that buy albums fund the thieves?

As for the paintball level......... I bet the companies love the fact that you can rip copies of their product for free.........makes all of the effort worth it. Ahhhhh.....we've lost thousands, but at least some people have stolen copies.

I do agree to a point with what you say about it being theft, and dont get me wrong just because someone has downloaded a few songs does not mean they dont buy the CD. (DVD) What i think it does do is let you have a copy till you can afford to buy it. Not every one does this and it would be niave to think so but for people who are (to a certain degree) honest it means they dont maybe discover a new band. (get the songs labeld as if you like xyz then try abc)

I also understand that these multi million pound companies wont make money if they cant sell the product cause of downloads but frankly everyone the world over is over charged for CD or DVD purchases. Especially in the UK where we charge the earth on everything.

 

[Baca Loco]

Originally posted by Tom Tom
people who are (to a certain degree) honest

How exactly does that work? Is that like being nearly pregnant or almost dead?