Ever think that there's never been an industry group in the history of man with the sort of bulldog spirited anti-competitive mindset of the RIAA? Think again. Techdirt draws an interesting parallel between the RIAA of today, and French button makers of the 1700's. It seems tailors began making buttons out of dense cloth, which outraged the established button making industry, leading to the government imposition of strict fines on the cloth button makers, and some rather-paranoid tactics to ensure control of the market. "Shortly after the matter of cloth weaving has been disposed of, the button makers guild raises a cry of outrage; the tailors are beginning to make buttons out of cloth, an unheard-of thing. The government, indignant that an innovation should threaten a settled industry, imposes a fine on the cloth-button makers. But the wardens of the button guild are not yet satisfied. They demand the right to search people's homes and wardrobes and fine and even arrest them on the streets if they are seen wearing these subversive goods."
Looks like the RIAA's play book is a little less updated than we thought.
1. arrest them on the streets if they are seen wearing these subversive goods."
There in lies the difference. Those people were wearing the buttons. The RIAA only claim is on the basis of some suspicion. Big difference. Many people sued did not download a thing. The RIAA believes because someone has ownership of an IP account, that they must be the ones who did a deed. Lets apply that same concept to other things in life. You are the owner of the car seen leaving the scene, You must have committed the crime. You have a key to your neighbor's home so you must have committed the burglary. You drink now and then so you must drive drunk. You buy stocks so you must have been engaged in insider trading. New to thee United States is that you must pay another if that other person is rich and suspects you may have done something to them. You cannot prove your innocence because the RIAA or Directv will drive your costs sop high they bankrupt you. It is nothing more then a new twist on strong arm robbery with assistance from court rules.
Posted at 8:46PM on Jan 16th 2007 by gene