Wed Oct 05, 2005 10:41 pm
Questions the RIAA Refuses to Answer:
1) When considering to investigate and prosecute CD-R and mix-tape sellers, did you consider the cultural implications in so far as mixtapes and CD-Rs comprise a huge avenue for underground artists and DJs to ply their trade and get noticed?
2) In looking at statistics from your website, a huge percentage of stores raided were Latino businesses--why is that?
3) What was the basis of your investigation into Kim's--how did RIAA investigators learn that Kim's may be selling or manufacturing CD's?
4) Can you please provide to me a copy of the affadavit for the search warrant?
5) I understand that RIAA investigators can raid--without a search warrant--any record store that they suspect is selling or manufacturing pirated CDs--is this true?
Wed Oct 05, 2005 11:13 pm
Wed Oct 05, 2005 11:44 pm
Thu Oct 06, 2005 12:15 am
Thu Oct 06, 2005 4:28 am
Thu Oct 06, 2005 7:51 am
Thu Oct 06, 2005 7:56 am
Graceland Gardener wrote:Scotty Moore does not aprove of alt takes being released.
Thu Oct 06, 2005 8:10 am
carolynlm wrote:Does Scotty not agree with the release of alt. takes because he doesn't get any revenue from these releases? If this is the case, I can see his point, but if it's only because he doesn't think they are good enough for release, then no, I don't agree with him......
Thu Oct 06, 2005 9:29 am
... squad of NYPD officials, private investigators and attorneys busted into Kim's Video and Music......a joint operation by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and the Counterfeit Division of the NYPD's 6th Precinct aimed at stamping out music piracy and trademark violations
Officers sporting bulletproof vests... officials got down to the business of drilling the store employees... lined them up and ordered them to identify the store's managers on duty...ushered the managers out of the store, placed them in separate police cruisers and drove to Manhattan Central Booking... managers were put in holding cells, where they would spend the next 36 hours... police never told him on what charge he was being held...offered no explanation to the managers
...about 20 law enforcement officials had swooped into the store... the cops were dressed "like SWAT guys" who were saying something about a warrant from the Supreme Court...... it was really scary. It felt like a full-on raid...
...was one of five arrested on misdemeanor trademark counterfeiting charges (the charges had been reduced from the felony counts by the time of their arraignment)...."the employees who were charged were involved in the burning or were ringing them up... seeing what it was, and ringing them up special because they knew they had to be treated differently"
In the end, Bettis and the other Kim’s employees got off with an ACD (Adjournment in Contemplation of Dismissal), in which the charge is expunged from their records after a probationary period of six months.
In a May 12 news release, the association announced a beefed-up anti-piracy effort focusing on small retail locations selling pirated music... emphasis on small retail establishments... prosecution of employees for selling indie releases and underground staples such as self-releases and DJ mix-tapes.
RIAA... undercover agent....knows the CD-R format - the latest accessible recording tool - is allowing bands to bypass the label system altogether... substantially widens the scope of the RIAA's hunt... place self-released CDs and DJ mixes in the category of "pirated" music... brought on Bradley Buckles, former director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, to head this effort... assembled a national force of ex-cops...Outfitted in black cargo pants, black steel-toed boots and black flak jackets emblazoned with RIAA...resemble real cops...
In fact, the RIAA officials' practices resemble the work of an average beat cop such as issuing pink violation tickets, confiscating allegedly pirated merchandise and search and seizures, all of which leads to a bit of confusion about exactly how much legal authority the RIAA has. New York lawyer David Cohn explains that, if these officials give the impression of being law enforcement officers, their seizures are technically illegal. But such claims are difficult to prove, and as Cohn notes, "Those guys do know how to work the system."
Amanda Hunter, spokeswoman for the RIAA, is careful to say, "These are not raids per se," but declines to elaborate on the exact nature of these investigations. "Every case is different," she says.
Thu Oct 06, 2005 9:55 am
Thu Oct 06, 2005 5:12 pm
Thu Oct 06, 2005 10:13 pm
Thu Oct 06, 2005 10:24 pm
Fri Oct 07, 2005 1:44 pm
Gregory Nolan Jr. wrote:Eileen, I do share your concerns about the overkill and about using finite resources as the RIAA goon squad, etc. However, don't the feds also bust gangs that sell black market cigarettes and illegal drugs?
Gregory Nolan Jr. wrote:Okay, would you join me in hoping that the FBI would be more involved in tracking down illegal immigrants?
Gregory Nolan Jr. wrote:I also love to jump all over phony charges of "ethnic bias" and "cultural suppression."
Gregory Nolan Jr. wrote:.... although they also are biased towards downloading which I say is a free lunch that people rationalize as somehow not stealing... Still, as LTB points out, piracy is piracy vs. say, booting stuff of long-dead artists that'll never see issue on the commericial market.
Fri Oct 07, 2005 3:55 pm
Graceland Gardener wrote:
He didn't approve of alt takes because they are inferior to the master, are bloopers, mistatkes, etc
plus he was paid once for the session (40 years ago in some cases) and they don't want to pay him AGAIN for new releases.
Fri Oct 07, 2005 10:40 pm
Wed Oct 19, 2005 11:19 pm
Eileen wrote:Gregory Nolan Jr. wrote:Okay, would you join me in hoping that the FBI would be more involved in tracking down illegal immigrants?
Hehehehehe I think we have an Immigration dept for that.Personally I'm no longer sure WHAT the essential function of the FBI is anymore. I don't really see a point in using mucho any resources to hunt generic illegal immigrants at the same time that big business openly employs them. It's just a waste of money, the bowl never stops flushing. We can track down and deport 45 Beau Rivage housekeepers and the Beau Rivage "subcontractor" buses in 45 more. I'm not saying big business is the sole cause of the problem or the only arena for enforcement - I'm saying that THAT situation is the real slap in the face to me as a citizen and the flashing neon sign that we are WAY off course. The US needs some core principles on the issue and then effective policies to support and maintain those principles. IMO we are SO far from that ideal that we aren't even in the game. I don't see it even within a party or traditional left/right/center arenas.
GREG RESPONDS:
So just let all illegal immigrants come at will?![]()
![]()
Big business -and various
Latino groups that quietly champion such demographic changes would cheer your resignation! As you may know, NAFTA largely wiped out
the ability of small farmers in Mexico to sustain their viability -and we
are now seeing the fruit of that experiment on our street corners with
the day laborer phenomenon. So, yes, we do need a solution to Mexico's
economic woes, but surrendering our border and saying "come on in,"
is fool-hardy and just wrong.
I agree that we have a mixed up policy, but let's not pretend that there
aren't those who have a clear solution to our porous border. American
workers by and large have depressed wages in part do to the now-regular source of cheap Mexican labor, to say nothing of China and India. Plus, factor in the 9/11 factor of those Saudis who were here with driver's licenses...!
I don't know why you are
so quick to give up on fighting illegal immigration.
America is being hurt by the specter of such terrorism
and our standard of living is being hurt.
We are fast losing middle-class living standards in once-stable industries like construction, manufacturing and more. To say otherwise is to ignore
the effect of a larger, unstable, ever replenishing (now anyway) labor source on the market. I somehow doubt you champion that, but let's not
assume immigration laws are merely "jay-walking" type of offenses where
we are merely culturally-enriched and no one gets hurt.Gregory Nolan Jr. wrote:I also love to jump all over phony charges of "ethnic bias" and "cultural suppression."
I really didn't get that from the article. What I got was discussion and acknowledgement of the dollar value of the latino (music) market and long-standing traditions in the college, local, indie, hip-hop markets. <shrug>
Regarding your restaurant example, I agree with you.
Greg Responds:
Shrug all you want, but the article did in fact literally feature people claiming exactly what I said in #1 & 2. As usual, when
the facts or the law is "inconvenient," ethnic special interest groups
play the "culture" or "race" card. It's just weak.
Re: downloading
Technology has changed the world so much that I don't find stealing vs. not stealing a very effective base for discussion. I'll present a few random, rambling examples of why not...(edit...) -Eileen
Thu Oct 20, 2005 12:16 am
Thu Oct 20, 2005 12:24 am
Thu Oct 20, 2005 8:01 am
Thu Oct 20, 2005 1:05 pm
Gregory Nolan Jr. wrote:Okay, would you join me in hoping that the FBI would be more involved in tracking down illegal immigrants?
Eileen wrote:Hehehehehe I think we have an Immigration dept for that.Personally I'm no longer sure WHAT the essential function of the FBI is anymore. I don't really see a point in using mucho any resources to hunt generic illegal immigrants at the same time that big business openly employs them. It's just a waste of money, the bowl never stops flushing. We can track down and deport 45 Beau Rivage housekeepers and the Beau Rivage "subcontractor" buses in 45 more. I'm not saying big business is the sole cause of the problem or the only arena for enforcement - I'm saying that THAT situation is the real slap in the face to me as a citizen and the flashing neon sign that we are WAY off course. The US needs some core principles on the issue and then effective policies to support and maintain those principles. IMO we are SO far from that ideal that we aren't even in the game. I don't see it even within a party or traditional left/right/center arenas.
Gregory Nolan Jr. wrote:So just let all illegal immigrants come at will?![]()
Big business -and various Latino groups that quietly champion such demographic changes would cheer your resignation!........
Gregory Nolan Jr. wrote:I also love to jump all over phony charges of "ethnic bias" and "cultural suppression."
Eileen wrote:I really didn't get that from the article. What I got was discussion and acknowledgement of the dollar value of the latino (music) market and long-standing traditions in the college, local, indie, hip-hop markets. <shrug>
Regarding your restaurant example, I agree with you.
Gregory Nolan Jr. wrote:Shrug all you want, but the article did in fact literally feature people claiming exactly what I said in #1 & 2. As usual, when the facts or the law is "inconvenient," ethnic special interest groups play the "culture" or "race" card. It's just weak.
Eileen wrote:Technology has changed the world so much that I don't find stealing vs. not stealing a very effective base for discussion. I'll present a few random, rambling examples of why not....
Gregory Nolan Jr. wrote:Eileen, you make it murkier than it need be. I agree there are gray areas, but we are talking about blantant piracy. Even LiketheBike (normally not fond of US copyrights- nor am I - concedes that.
In such stores, you'll find that both the artist, the producer, the songwriter AND the record company is blatantly being ripped off. It probably wouldn't happen, but imagine Dolly Parton's new album this week (I saw an article out on it today) being sold as a bootleg in a store today. That's not stealing?
Plain and, yes, simple.
Thu Oct 20, 2005 3:59 pm
Gregory Nolan Jr. wrote:So just let all illegal immigrants come at will?![]()
Big business -and various Latino groups that quietly champion such demographic changes would cheer your resignation!........
Please don't do that. I said what I thought, my opinion doesn't need to be rewritten nor should I be accused of being in favor of whatever you are against because I didn't simply agree with you. I said - "The US needs some core principles on the issue and then effective policies to support and maintain those principles." I did not say I was resigned or that I think all illegal immigrants should come at will.
Well I read the entire article and I don't agree with your interpretation, as I explained. And I don't find the issues presented in the article or in #1 and #2, to be on the same plane as your restaurant example, a case in which I did agree with you.
Eileen wrote:Actually we were talking about the issues in the article and downloading and the RIAA and rockrap.com, I thought, and in addition I thought we would then be talking about the law, which does deal in those gray areas too. Perhaps you wanted to confine the discussion to retail album duplication (piracy)? That hadn't been my impression.
If someone made copies of the new Dolly Parton album that would be piracy, not bootlegging, and if they sold them in stores today yes, I agree that would be stealing.
likethebike wrote:Well clearly the problem is that the market is not bearing that price and they are not using strong arm tactics to get something back they can never get back. Most industries facing a crisis like the record industry would cut prices. It's just incredible this way of thinking. There were pirates ten years ago when the industry was flying. However, they do not want to address this but the market for back releases was satiated, the prices of new CDs stayed at record highs despite the fact that production costs went down, the interesting new artists developed were few and far between. Plus, video games, dvds and other forms of entertainment have come into play as intense competition for the disposable dollar.
Fri Oct 21, 2005 12:48 am
Fri Oct 21, 2005 12:57 am
Fri Oct 21, 2005 1:40 am
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