# RIAA to sue file sharers. **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 26, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riaa-to-sue-file-sharers/184616 "2003-06-26T20:51:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Freiheit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e8c25b/32.png) [@Freiheit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freiheit)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riaa-to-sue-file-sharers/184616/1 "2003-06-26T20:51:12Z")
[http://news.com.com/2100-1027\_3-1020876.html?tag=mainstry](http://news.com.com/2100-1027_3-1020876.html?tag=mainstry) I think that Kazaa and the other P2P programs don’t really hurt the music industry. They keep a few CDs from being purchased. I think they also expose people to new music, which convinces people to buy new CDs. But the real problem for the big labels, IMO, is people copying their friends’ CDs. Computers come with burners and CD-Rs are really cheap. Only one person needs to buy a certain CD in that circle of friends, everybody else copies. There are so many people sharing music that RIAA can only sue a tiny percentage, right? I’m assuming that only the very biggest pirates will have legal action brought against them. Or maybe this is just a scare tactic–it’s the scariest thing they’ve done yet. ---
**Author:** ![Sock\_Munkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Sock\_Munkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_Munkey)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riaa-to-sue-file-sharers/184616/2 "2003-06-26T23:10:53Z")
There are already several other threads on this. ---
**Author:** ![Freiheit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e8c25b/32.png) [@Freiheit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freiheit)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riaa-to-sue-file-sharers/184616/3 "2003-06-26T23:24:44Z")
Shoot! I was so sure I checked thoroughly… ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riaa-to-sue-file-sharers/184616/4 "2003-06-27T00:24:11Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Freiheit \* > **[I think that Kazaa and the other P2P programs don’t really hurt the music industry. They keep a few CDs from being purchased. I think they also expose people to new music, which convinces people to buy new CDs.** Regardless of what you think, making copies without permission is a copyright violation. Period. As to whether it helps or hurts, why do you have the right to decide that for another person? If the artist doesn’t want his work copied, shouldn’t his wishes be paramount? > [@](#): > > But the real problem for the big labels, IMO, is people copying their friends’ CDs. Computers come with burners and CD-Rs are really cheap. Only one person needs to buy a certain CD in that circle of friends, everybody else copies. No doubt. But file sharing is easier to track down, so they’ll go with that first. > [@](#): > > There are so many people sharing music that RIAA can only sue a tiny percentage, right? I’m assuming that only the very biggest pirates will have legal action brought against them. Or maybe this is just a scare tactic–it’s the scariest thing they’ve done yet. \*\* They will do it (they already have). Maybe you won’t be the one picked, but if you are, the cost to you can be many thousands of dollars. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_L.A](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnny_l.a/32/1084_2.png) [@Johnny\_L.A](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_L.A)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riaa-to-sue-file-sharers/184616/5 "2003-06-27T00:54:16Z")
IMO I don’t like paying twenty bucks for a CD. I’ve never downloaded an MP3, so the decision doesn’t affect me; but IMO the record labels are a gang of greedy bastards. I see their point: If people can get music free, why pay for it? As someone who occasionally works on films, I agree that copyrights should be protected. But I feel that they are charging too much for their product. What I’d like to see is _everyone_ boycotting music purchases with the demand that the labels reduce their pricing. If enough people say, “Music is too expensive!” and then _do_ something about it, then the labels will have to lower their prices. Of course, it will never happen. ---
**Author:** ![Sock\_Munkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/aeb1de/32.png) [@Sock\_Munkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sock_Munkey)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 12:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riaa-to-sue-file-sharers/184616/6 "2003-06-27T00:57:50Z")
It won’t actually stop anyone aside from the handfull they decide to nail. ---
**Author:** ![slortar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6bbea6/32.png) [@slortar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slortar)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riaa-to-sue-file-sharers/184616/7 "2003-06-27T13:08:20Z")
I’m actually enjoying these articles more than I should. They remind me of the flailings of a drowning swimmer. Either that or a man being swarmed by bees. I wonder how long until they realize that they’re being dragged into a different business model, like it or not? Freaking dinosaurs. ---
**Author:** ![gex\_gex](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/94ad74/32.png) [@gex\_gex](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gex_gex)\ **Post date:** [June 27, 2003, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/riaa-to-sue-file-sharers/184616/8 "2003-06-27T15:48:41Z")
> [@](#): > > _originally posted by RealityChuck_ > If the artist doesn’t want his work copied, shouldn’t his wishes be paramount? :rolleyes: Yeah, and it’s always the _artist_ who decides whether the work is copied or not.