Oops. Sorry, Wrong Person: RIAA Shotgun Lawsuits

Filed in archive Consumer rights , Legal , RIAA, MPAA on January 8, 2007

RIAA now has dropped several copyright infringement lawsuits against suspected P2P file sharers, including Warner v. Pidgeon and Interscope v. Leadbetter and Elektra v. Santangelo . Generally this is so RIAA can amend or refile the claim against a related person.

This practice highlights RIAA's shotgun justice. During the course of the suit RIAA switches from the initial ISP subscriber to more appropriate targets if found. As a well-funded adversary RIAA thinks nothing of suing tens of thousands of people based on limited information. Such weak evidence would not be enough for a criminal arrest. But RIAA can get away with it as a civil suit.

No harm, you say? Hardly. At a minimum many innocent people are being sued and forced to spend thousands of dollars to defend themselves. Is there any justice for the innocent? Judges have indicated that plaintiffs may be awarded attorneys fees and costs. But there have been no such awards yet.

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Rating: 9.43 out of 40 vote(s) cast.

Response from: Eric (01/08/07 2:20pm)

I'm so sick of these extortionists.

As a lifelong career musician,I have never seen
one benefit from these idiots, who tell me
that they are protecting my intellectual property
by sueing dead people and children.

Thank Yaweh that all of the really good music

out there today is not in the major label system

(LIKE MINE) & I don't rape and underestimate the intelligence of my consumers either.I deserve praise for at least being real.

I have met many many labels heads in my day,

and not ONE really gets it now.The concept of

A&R is gone with the wind.

They did away with artist developement in the nineties,so screw them.That's why you have
this primary color shallow drivel on the radio today.

As for me,I have developed myself.It has cost me

everything to write produce mix and package

my music but it is worth having the freedom to not have some junior a&R nitwit who knows nor cares nothing about the music tell me to write a song that sounds like Natalie Imbruglia to make
a quick buck.

Response from: Scotty (01/08/07 2:53pm)

In Washington State the attorney that files a civil suit is expected to have done proper due diligence as to the merits of the suit prior to filing it. If evidence of lack of due diligence is presented then the attorney can be held liable for all of a defendants attorney's fees.

Response from: (01/08/07 5:56pm)

If they knew for sure who the individual was it couldn't be called a fraudulant lawsuit. People should not be surprised that we allow someone to be sued in America on the basis of suspicion. Directv sued around 30,000 and took there money on the basis of suspicion and now the RIAA is making money doing the same. The courts allow it and so does the US Congress. Wake up America, too many have been sued to still be wondering just what is really going on.

Response from: gene (04/07/08 9:43pm)

I was sued in a fraudulent suit by directv. Fraudulent because they said I never paid for service when I have canceled checks. Fraudulent because they associated me with people I never knew or spoke with. To knowingly file a suit you know to be a fraud is a crime. To lie in that suit is a crime. To force a victim of a crime into a settlement agreement denying constitutional rights is a crime. Justice at all levels were provided considerable evidence of these crimes and did nothing. I can never again help justice till they go back and investigate the crime committed against me in that fraudulent lawsuit. By the way, unless you have $100,000.00 in the bank, don't say defending yourself is possible because it isn't