Will The Recording Industry Sue Edgar Bronfman For Downloading?
from the just-asking dept
Edgar Bronfman Jr., back in 2000 was one of the first record label execs (he headed Seagrams, which at the time owned Universal) to come up with the idea of suing Napster and all its users. Since he was eventually forced out, and later had to buy Warner Music to get back into the business, the idea that he kicked off has certainly taken hold with thousands upon thousands of lawsuits filed by the RIAA. All too often, we’ve heard about cases where the RIAA would claim that whoever owned the broadband account where file sharing occurred was liable for any infringement. That allowed them to sue parents who had done absolutely nothing wrong, and claim that they were still responsible for the actions of their kids who may have been sharing unauthorized files. Given all that, it’s interesting to note that Edgar Bronfman Jr. is now admitting that his kids have been downloading unauthorized content. Well, actually, it’s not entirely clear. He says, “I’m fairly certain that they have, and I’m fairly certain that they’ve suffered the consequences.” He then declines to explain what those consequences are — but we’d assume it doesn’t involve huge fines, being told to drop out of school or any other such nastiness that the RIAA reserves for all those other families they’re suing. However, if the RIAA really believes that parents are liable for the actions of their kids, and Bronfman has just admitted that his kids have been file sharing, shouldn’t they slap one of their famed extortion letters on him? He can certainly afford it. Thanks only to Skype’s wealthy founders bailing Kazaa out of a lawsuit by paying $100 million to record labels, Warner Music actually turned a profit last quarter. Without the Kazaa money, however, they’d continue the company’s trend of losing cash every which way — but apparently it hasn’t occurred to them that their legal strategy isn’t helping business very much.
Comments on “Will The Recording Industry Sue Edgar Bronfman For Downloading?”
They listened to their lawyers...
And their lawyers have been turning a profit every quarter since!
I’m sure that they (the riaa members) would love to call their war on piracy a success, but how can they do that when they gave all their money to their lawyers?
I stopped buying all big label music a long time ago. I can’t imagine going back.
Re: They listened to their lawyers...
Now quite all their money. The executives are still making big bucks.
Start a ring!
I’m glad I listen to music from labels that aren’t RIAA members.
I just helped my good friend backup 70 gigs worth of drum and bass yesterday morning. 😉
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zUe-Ebe8dWU
As I understnad it, the RIAA also requires, as part of the settlement in these cases, that the _parent_ admit personal guilt. I think that it would be ironic to see Bronfman sign a settlement admiting that he personally “stole”.
Re: Re:
You forget, the law doesn’t apply to people as rich and powerful as Bronfman.
But if he were a single mother, they’d have lawyers on him (her) so fast you’d get a nosebleed.
I know that the RIAAs office has pirated versions of MS windows. I took a support call a couple weeks ago from there, only to realize the issue was Windows XP was pirated. We confirmed it was at the RIAA office.
I have been working with Windows since it’s inception. I have never had a problem with a pirated version of windows. They work the same as the others. No updating the OS might become cumbersome but still possible if your worth your salt in IT.
Re: geek
what does your comment about being able to support pirated versions of windows have to do with anything?
probably saying that the RIAA harps aabout piracy, howevere they are using pirated software. so they say you an’t pirate music, that’s bad. but it’s OK for them to use pirated software.
Call the BSA - Business Software Alliance
I know that the RIAAs office has pirated versions of MS windows. I took a support call a couple weeks ago from there, only to realize the issue was Windows XP was pirated. We confirmed it was at the RIAA office
Call the BSA and you could get a reward for being a snitch. In the case of the RIAA, this is called poetic justice.
Re: Call the BSA - Business Software Alliance
Wouldn’t this be a little like calling the cops on one of their own? Not a very smart or safe thing to do.
BSA phone number
http://www.bsa.org/usa/report/
Call their U.S. hotline: 1-888-NOPIRACY (1-888-667-4722)
“by Unknowledgeable Geek on Dec 4th, 2006 @ 11:13am
I have been working with Windows since it’s inception. I have never had a problem with a pirated version of windows. They work the same as the others. No updating the OS might become cumbersome but still possible if your worth your salt in IT.”
LOL Unknowledgeable is the perfect word to describe you, but I would throw in some more, “ignorant”, “irrelevent”, “doesn’t pay attention”, “speaks out of context”, hmm all the options…
Will The Recording Industry Sue Edgar Bronfman For
One phrase sums it all up.
“Do as I say, Not as I Do.”
Nice misdirection, Mike.
The RIAA has only sued those who distribute (or “share” as you call it) large amounts of copyrighted music through P2P, and has never brought suit against mere downloaders – though they could have.
Re: Re:
I’ve read of cases of people being sued over a single song. Not exactly “large amounts”
BTW, is it true that steers have no balls?
Re: Re: Re:
I feel that he should be sued for all he’s worth. Since he can afford to pay the maximum extortion fee of $150,000 per violation, he should be sued for that. Proportional to your income. That is what they do with those who have no money.
BTW:
Yes. That is why they are steers. They either have their nuts chopped off or the circulation to them cut so they fall off. I grew up in agriculture. That occurs when they are young calves.
Hey, if Bronfman’s kids were downloading, what’s to say that their machines didn’t get infected with malware that turned them into zombies? I’d be very surprised if they didn’t have a high-speed connection, and their computers could easily have been exploited as open proxies, right?
yeah right....
suffered the consequenes my a**
first off, daddy practically owns 2 of the 4 major labels. those kids could follow dad into the office and have a 40% chance of getting free copies of any CD out there.
secondly, if he walked up to one of his kids and saw him/her on limewire or shareaza, do you think he had them subpoena’d? yeah right.
BSA
Hey, can I turn them in for ya?? 50K would come in very handy right now.
Downloading? Why waste time?
All the P2P and downloaders have it wrong. Just ask to borry someone’s CD and then return it. That way there’s no trace. Oh, wait, the MPAA says it’s illegal to allow a friend to watch a movie WITH you because it loses them a sale. What non-sense.
Oh, BTW, you don’t have to worry about WinDoZe’s many issues and piracy if you use open source software…..
Parents are responsible for the actions of their k
Check the law, it’s a fact. Do you think if your kid crashes into somebody’s parked car you can say “oh, you can’t sue me for your damages, it was my kid”? No way.
Re: Parents are responsible for the actions of the
But if the kids kill someone you can say “oh you can’t put me in jail cause it was my kid”?