Obama administration supports RIAA's ludicrous fines

[Rob Williams]

Well, this sucks. It looks like the Obama administration sides with the RIAA's excessive fines for downloading a track, which can range between $750 and $150,000. We know that the RIAA will charge that, too, as evidenced by the flurry of court cases, and people who've lost them (and will now be pretty-much broke for life). I'm unsure how the administration could even remotely side with this policy... the fines are incredibly excessive. I can understand fines... we get fines for parking on the wrong side of the road, but when is the last time you got a $750 fine for that? Much less a $150,000 fine?

No surprise, two top lawyers in the administration are previous RIAA lawyers, including one who was responsible for bringing down Grokster back in the day. The other argued that ISPs should be forced to release customer data without a subpoena. So... it seems like it's no surprise that the administration is leaning heavily in one way.

But still, Obama, what the...? Here we are all whining about the economy, and now $750 fines are being supported for the simple act of downloading a song? Ridiculous.

http://blog.wired.com/27bstroke6/2009/03/obama-sides-wit.html

 

[madstork91]

Some of us knew this was coming the minute he appointed those guys...

His stance on net neutrality and copyright reform used to be the only reasons I could stomach the guy... at all.

 

[Kougar]

I was just starting to like the guy. It's to bad he had to employ these people.... I'm all for protecting ourselves and each other, but releasing customer data without a subpeona simply based on the suspicion of file-sharing?

Yet we can't persecute known muderers or rapists or violent offenders without a subpeona... I'd bet they're only carring their view because it keeps their pockets lined with gold.

 

[b1lk1]

Why does this surprise anyone that Obama is nothing but a politician that used eloquent speeches to get elected? He does not have the power to change anything and his true colors are being shown in spades. He is a politician and did what it took to get elected, nothing more.

 

[On_Wisconsin]

Damn. I thought the RIAA was almost done.

Thank god for the EFF...

 

[On_Wisconsin]

Why does this surprise anyone that Obama is nothing but a politician that used eloquent speeches to get elected? He does not have the power to change anything and his true colors are being shown in spades. He is a politician and did what it took to get elected, nothing more.

It also helped that his campaign was able to get voters TO vote, not just staying home/acting like a talk radio blowhard and regurgitate campaign propaganda like the McCain campaign (and most DNC/GOP campaigns)

 

[Greg King]

The RIAA is stupid in their heavy handed tactics but you are all missing the point behind this all. Downloading music that you haven't paid for is ILLEGAL. This is a fundamental right/wrong going on here folks. You can bitch all you want but illegal is illegal. There is no shade of gray to this anywhere.

 

[Greg King]

I should elaborate a little. I am against the heavy handed blows that the RIAA is dealing out all the time so don't take my last post as siding with them at all. I am simply saying that the root cause of all this is illegal activity. This is scare mongering at it's very core and wrong but the RIAA is not in the wrong for wanting to stop all the downloading (which they will NEVER be able to do). I have faith in our legal system to determine what is right and wrong and the last time I checked, Obama is NOT a member of the judicial branch of the United States of America.

Regardless, this shouldn't take priority given the HUGE list of other ills our society is facing but theft is theft.

 

[b1lk1]

It also helped that his campaign was able to get voters TO vote, not just staying home/acting like a talk radio blowhard and regurgitate campaign propaganda like the McCain campaign (and most DNC/GOP campaigns)

Believe me, I don't think McCain was any better of a choice and probably would have been a worse choice (I am a diehard Republican too). All I was trying to say is that they are ALL politicians and they ALL, regardless of party, will say and do anything to achieve power and once in office we get to see the reality that this wonderful "change" philosophy isn't worth the paper or air it took up before the election.

 

[Greg King]

I see this fight no differently than I do the war on drugs.

While many deserve the sentences they get, a vast majority of people in prisons today on drug charges are facing far harsher terms than they deserve. While I don't agree with the MULTIPLE YEARS that a pot dealer gets when sentenced, both arguments (drugs and music) are predicated in illegal activities. I know selling drugs is wrong and I know stealing music is wrong too.

At least we can all agree in here that the RIAA can still suck a nut.

 

[b1lk1]

Definitely, the tactics and punishments are horrible, but breaking the law is breaking the law and it is not like almost all people who do download music have no idea what they are doing is illegal.

 

[Anonymous Bosch]

It's always reassuring when your elected officials are coming out on the side of a lobbying interest that imposes "fines" yet isn't a branch of the government and isn't subject to oversight of any kind. It's not like industry groups like the RIAA have ever abused the system for their own gain, let 'em charge whatever they want - we deserve it.

The more things change the more thay stay the same.