# "What they're doing is illegal in the US"...and does an overzealous mod have a CITE?! **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [December 30, 2005, 5:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693 "2005-12-30T05:57:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 7:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693/121 "2006-01-01T07:22:42Z")
That they are operating illegally in Russia is spin by the IFPI. I’ll admit that if the law was more up to date then what they are doing would probably be illegal, however, [bit isn’t\*\*. > [@Website cited by The Register](#): > > [AllofMP3.com](http://AllofMP3.com) cannot be charged for piracy, prosecutors ruled, under the current criminal law. [link](http://moskalyuk.com/blog/allofmp3com-escapes-criminal-lawsuit-for-now/475) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693/122 "2006-01-01T07:26:01Z")
At the bottom of that link: > [@](#): > > Update: Slate magazine answers one of the [AllofMP3.com](http://AllofMP3.com) FAQ questining legality. According to them, selling the music to the US customers would not be legal. ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693/123 "2006-01-01T07:28:43Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > At the bottom of that link: That interpretation depends upon them operating illegally within Russia. I read the entire thing before I posted. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693/124 "2006-01-01T07:29:59Z")
Hmmm… > [@](#): > > [c|net news](http://news.com.com/MP3s+for+pennies+Russian+cops+say+no/2100-1027_3-5586034.html) February 22, 2005 > > According to the IFPI, the Russian music market is ranked No. 12 in the world, worth about $326 million in 2003. The group estimates that about 64 percent of music consumed in the country has been pirated, however. ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693/125 "2006-01-01T07:31:13Z")
Just to point out a bit of irony in all of this…the advert for “Free music downloads” lands you at a page with a giant Napster logo =) ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 7:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693/126 "2006-01-01T07:36:23Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > At the bottom of that link: Then again, that article is written by a law student so I would hardly consider it definitive. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 7:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693/127 "2006-01-01T07:44:39Z")
> [@treis](#): > > Then again, that article is written by a law student so I would hardly consider it definitive. [That Slate article](http://www.slate.com/id/2115868/) features copyright lawyer Bruce Boyden, who “concedes that there’s some dispute as to whether [Allofmp3.com](http://Allofmp3.com) has in fact obtained the Russian distribution rights. But he has his suspicions: ‘[Allofmp3.com](http://Allofmp3.com) doesn’t sound Russian to me, and it doesn’t sound like they’re aiming at a Russian audience.’ Moreover, even if it does hold some Russian distribution rights, it certainly doesn’t own worldwide Internet distribution rights.” ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693/128 "2006-01-01T07:47:40Z")
[Elsehwere on Alex Moskalyk Online](http://moskalyuk.com/blog/are-russian-music-sites-legal/422): > [@](#): > > Why Russian sites are not exactly legal in the US > > However, the legislature is Russian and thus applies only on Russian territory. Which means that the sites are not exactly legal to distribute the music anywhere outside of Russia. For any 15c allocated to the Russian music site some money goes to ROMS, which then distributes the payback to Universal Music Russia, BMG Russia, or whoever. Apparently the original Universal Music or BMG would not be too happy about it, even though they do get paid somewhere in the process. > > So buying music out of Russia over the Internet is illegal if you’re in the United States, as buying marijuana from Netherlands would also be illegal, if you were in the US. Might be legal if you were physically in the Netherlands, but as far as the law enforcement in the US is concerned, you cannot go to one of those Amsterdam e-commerce shops and order a nice package with international shipping pre-paid. ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693/129 "2006-01-01T07:48:44Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > […] Moreover, even if it does hold some Russian distribution rights, it certainly doesn’t own worldwide Internet distribution rights." … > [@Allofmp3 Legal info](#): > > All the materials in MediaServices projects are available for distribution through the Internet in accordance with license # LS-3М-05-03 of the Russian Multimedia and Internet Society. ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693/130 "2006-01-01T07:50:39Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > […]So buying music out of Russia over the Internet is illegal if you’re in the United States, as buying marijuana from Netherlands would also be illegal, if you were in the US. Oh come on, are we back to Polycarp’s pedophilia comparison? US Citizens purchasing marijuana is just plain illegal. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693/131 "2006-01-01T07:58:00Z")
[A Spanish precedent:](http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/7492) > [@](#): > > spacegrass used our news submit to tell us that Reuters reports that the RIAA is sueing [Puretunes.com](http://Puretunes.com), a Spanish music downloading service. Charges are that the web site engaged in copyright infringement and unfair competition. There were already doubts about PureTunes, as it was much cheaper then industry supported download sites such as PressPlay and Musicnet. However the web site claimed it did work according to Spanish copyright laws. [Puretunes settled with the RIAA to the tune of $10 million](http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/7492). ---
**Author:** ![alterego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6bbea6/32.png) [@alterego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alterego)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 7:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693/132 "2006-01-01T07:59:41Z")
RIAA has no jurisdiction in Russia =) ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693/133 "2006-01-01T08:03:45Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > [A Spanish precedent:](http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/7492) [Puretunes settled with the RIAA to the tune of $10 million](http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/7492). Not for copyright infringment though. But for: > [@](#): > > The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) said Wednesday it has filed a lawsuit against the Spanish company [Puretunes.com](http://Puretunes.com), claiming the service had defrauded its customers into believing that its service was licensed by record labels. > **[RIAA sues Spanish music site](https://www.theregister.com/2003/07/10/riaa_sues_spanish_music_site/)** > > Out of tune ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 8:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693/134 "2006-01-01T08:16:09Z")
> [@treis](#): > > Not for copyright infringment though. Probably because they couldn’t prove copyright infringement due to Spain’s archaic copyright laws. > [@](#): > > The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) said Wednesday it has filed a lawsuit against the Spanish company [Puretunes.com](http://Puretunes.com), claiming the service had defrauded its customers into believing that its service was licensed by record labels. Which is apparently the same thing that allofmp3 is doing. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 8:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693/135 "2006-01-01T08:18:18Z")
Well, thats a matter between the RIAA and [allofmp3.com](http://allofmp3.com). I am only concerned about whether from that site violates any laws. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 8:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693/136 "2006-01-01T08:19:38Z")
> [@treis](#): > > I am only concerned about whether from that site violates any laws. Insert “downloading” where appropiate. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 8:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693/137 "2006-01-01T08:20:17Z")
> [@alterego](#): > > RIAA has no jurisdiction in Russia =) Nor in Spain but Puretunes settled anyway. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 8:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693/138 "2006-01-01T08:26:01Z")
Russian Copyright Law (.doc) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 8:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693/139 "2006-01-01T08:46:58Z")
> [@alterego quoting allofmp3 legal info](#): > > Allofmp3 Legal info]All the materials in MediaServices projects are available for distribution through the Internet in accordance with license # LS-3М-05-03 of the Russian Multimedia and Internet Society. [The Russian Multimedia and Internet Society](http://www.roms.ru/?fms=3): > [@](#): > > ROMS concludes contracts only with the Russian users - physical and legal persons who carry out their activity in the Russian Federation, strictly observing the principles of authors’ rights protection. Sure sounds like that license only applies to those who contact allofmp3 from within the Russian Federation. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2006, 8:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693/140 "2006-01-01T08:49:19Z")
Germany, which presumably has copyright laws similar to our own, has declared downloading from allofmp3 and similar sites illegal. The German government considers such sites to be file-swapping services. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-theyre-doing-is-illegal-in-the-us-and-does-an-overzealous-mod-have-a-cite/337693.md?page=8)