Florida Judge Won't Let The RIAA Off The Hook
from the pissed-off-judge dept
If you follow the various RIAA lawsuits, you’ll notice the pattern. The RIAA bullies and bullies and bullies people, trying to get them to settle. They almost never want to go to court — and if someone fights back — especially to the point of filing countersuits, the RIAA looks to get out of the case as quickly as possible. Step one, of course, is trying to get the countersuits dismissed. Apparently, it tried to do that last year when a defendant in Tampa countersued the RIAA. The judge, however, wouldn’t let the RIAA off the hook and refused to dismiss most of the counterclaims. Amazingly, in a very similar case in front of the same judge, with the defendant again countersuing — the RIAA asked the court to dismiss the countersuits, claiming the earlier decision was in error. Generally speaking, it’s probably not a great idea to tell the judge that a ruling he made a few months back in a nearly identical case was a mistake. After receiving the motion to dismiss the countersuit Tuesday evening, the judge turned it down first thing Wednesday morning. The judge’s order itself is short and sweet, saying that the RIAA showed no evidence as to why the original ruling was incorrect and so it sees no reason to treat this countersuit any differently than the last one. Of course, just like last time, the RIAA doesn’t want this to go to court, and will likely try to settle up as quickly as possible.
Filed Under: countersuits, florida, lawsuits, riaa
Companies: riaa
Comments on “Florida Judge Won't Let The RIAA Off The Hook”
Wrong State
Ohhhhh RIAA you picked the wrong state to pull that in, lol. let’s see some sparks fly.
Watching the slow death of the RIAA is very amusing.
I’d put money that, by 2012, the organization is no more, having been exposed as the criminal organization it is.
i’m continuously amused by how stupid the RIAA is. someone fresh out of law school couldnt make these mistakes on purpose.
Govenrments Take Note
Especially their lobbying tactics.
http://www.wired.com/politics/law/news/2001/10/47552
http://copyfight.corante.com/archives/2004/09/07/riaa_lobbyist_drm_up_or_induce_is_gonna_getcha.php
http://digg.com/music/RIAA_spent_2_million_lobbying_for_tougher_IP_laws_in_2007
eleete.com
I doubt it will be dead by 2012, but I imagine most of the recording industry will look completely different in the next decade or so. It seems like the recording industry’s business model was based on the artists’ need for someone else to do the mass distribution, but now all you need is enough money to get the servers and the bandwidth and your fans will do the rest(see Nine Inch Nails). I imagine eventually (talking longer than 15-20 yrs) copyright law will either change or become un-enforced, if only for cost-benefit reasons.
Re: Let the Ancillary Product be Born
Music isn’t the only product on the board here.
eleete.com
Florida is apparently pretty cool
I’m glad to see that Florida seems to respect the law for the most part. This is the same state that has threatened to disbar Jack Thompson. Go Florida!
Screw the RIAA and those they represent. The Music Industry is changing. Check this out a new and better way: http://www.sellaband.com/site/how-it-works.html
It is a sad state...
…of affairs when we are overjoyed because a government sponsored agency is required, for once, to obey the laws. Now if we could just get the rest of the agencies sponsored and opperated by the government to obey the laws….
put an exorbant amount on the countersuit
something they cannot pay… whats microshaft worth.. put that dollar amount on it, make them go to court.. and make them go into bankruptcy… look on the bright side… u’ll b rich.. they will lose finally(takes balls i know) but then there will be precident and it will all be over and the MafIAA will be done with for good.. just my 2 cents and for the record IANAL
countersuits may be the key
One empathizes with the financial plight of the artists who are being cheated out of potential income – but a class action counter suit may in fact be the answer to halt the abuses of the RIAA
Re: countersuits may be the key
That ‘potential income’ is a myth. Bands make little money off of CD sales — most of it goes to cover costs or line the label’s pockets — and they’re getting none of the money that the RIAA settles for. Artists (and their music) are the stick the RIAA is using to beat us with, and nothing more.
Re: countersuits may be the key
“One empathizes with the financial plight of the artists who are being cheated out of potential income”
…by the RIAA. None of the money recovered so far has been going to the artists, remember that.
IANAL, but I think there would be serious problems with mounting a class action lawsuit, for legal and logistical reasons. Especially when some of the people sued by the RIAA were already dead by the time the original threat was made…
OWNED !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 🙂
Countersuits, etc.
“Of course, … , the RIAA doesn’t want this to go to court, and will likely try to settle up as quickly as possible.”
You post “Of course” as if the RIAA is somehow doing something underhanded by looking for a settlement out of court. There are two good reasons, or more, to settle before going to trial. The first is that going to trial is very expensive. The second is that a trial can easily get out of control and become unpredictable. These two considerations are valid for plaintiff and defendant alike. I have heard that most suits are handled without going to trial.
Riaa
Please explain your acronyms in parentheses!!
What in the world is Riaa and who was the judge??????????????