RIAA being sued for violating anti-racketeering laws

Grok Headline matches for RIAA being sued for violating anti-racketeering laws

RIAA sued on Racketeering!

RIAA sued on Racketeering! 02/19/2004 03:57 AM
A New Jersey woman who has been charged with file swapping by the RIAA, brought out the big guns and...

RIAA Countersued Under Racketeering Laws

RIAA Countersued Under Racketeering Laws 02/18/2004 10:53 PM

RIAA Sued For Violating P2P Patent

RIAA Sued For Violating P2P Patent 09/09/2004 03:51 AM
While some may consider it poetic justice to hear that the RIAA has been sued by a P2P company for patent infringement, the news really isn't that great. It's really not particularly unexpected either. Altnet made it clear last year that they would use their patent for identifying files via a hash to sue the music industry for spying on file sharers. Altnet is barely a typical file sharing company either. While it does seem to have a convoluted relationship with Kazaa, it's really a system for interjecting copy protected files into Kazaa's system. The patent, like so many these days, seems quite questionable (and fairly obvious). The RIAA, of course, will fail to see the irony of being hit up with an intellectual property charge, and it will do nothing to change their behavior. All we really end up with is yet another bad patent lawsuit that will do little to move the industry forward.

RIAA sued under gang laws

RIAA sued under gang laws 02/18/2004 05:31 PM
A woman who the record label group accuses of copyright infringement fires back, saying labels are breaking racketeering laws.

Other News: RIAA Racketeering

Other News: RIAA Racketeering 02/19/2004 11:22 AM
An RIAA target sues the organization for extortion.

Mom sues RIAA members for racketeering

Mom sues RIAA members for racketeering 02/19/2004 12:05 AM
Don't call me scarface

Accusing The RIAA Of Racketeering For
File Sharing Lawsuits

Accusing The RIAA Of Racketeering For
File Sharing Lawsuits 02/18/2004 02:56 PM
We've covered the story of DirecTV suing anyone who ordered a smart card reader and telling them they should just settle since it would be cheaper than fighting the lawsuit (even if they did nothing wrong with the smart card reader). Some of the accused have realized that this seems quite a bit like extortion ("just pay up, it'll be less trouble...") and have sued DirecTV with racketeering. Now, one woman is saying that this same argument can be equally applied to the RIAA and their lawsuits against those accused of sharing file illegally. She's now charging the RIAA with racketeering under RICO laws for trying to extort money out of her. It's a tough claim - because the RIAA's obvious response is that she (or, as she claims, her daughter) was doing something illegal. Still, the method of dumping thousands of lawsuits and then offering to settle them for a few thousand rather than going through the trouble of a lawsuit does sound an awful lot like extortion.

Tira says China violating intellectual
property laws

Tira says China violating intellectual
property laws 06/27/2004 06:39 AM
Maariv International Jun 27 2004 10:30AM GMT

Online Retailers Sued For Violating
Patent On Tracking Visitors

Online Retailers Sued For Violating
Patent On Tracking Visitors 09/15/2004 01:39 PM
The latest in an incredibly long line of silly patent lawsuits comes from BTG (who already has a series of silly patent lawsuits against Microsoft and Apple for a patent on "updates over the internet), who is suing Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Netflix and Overstock for violat ing their patent on tracking the path a visitor takes through their websites. Once again, you have to wonder how this could ever have been approved as a patent. Looking at the actual patent, it seems likely that just about anyone who uses any kind of advanced log file analysis software probably violates this patent. How dare you analyze how visitors use your site without paying extra!

What to do if you're sued by the RIAA:
update

What to do if you're sued by the RIAA:
update 01/03/2004 01:20 AM
On Declan McCullagh's Politech list, attorney Charles Mudd says:

I have updated my RIAA web page that provides general answers to questions that individuals may have regarding the RIAA's initiative. This reflects updates in light of the two opinions of recent note.

Link

More file-swappers sued by RIAA

More file-swappers sued by RIAA 12/04/2003 04:58 AM
Silicon.com Dec 4 2003 3:15AM ET

532 poor saps getting sued by the RIAA

532 poor saps getting sued by the RIAA 01/22/2004 02:47 AM
Well the RIAA who continues to strong arm consumers in Mafia like tactics have went after 532 more file swappers....

Pepsi Ad Using Kids Sued By The RIAA

Pepsi Ad Using Kids Sued By The RIAA 01/23/2004 02:23 PM
Well, we're approaching Super Bowl time, and I'm seeing plenty of articles (as always) about all the funky Super Bowl ads that people are preparing. However, Pepsi has put together one of the odder ones. As part of their promotion to give away iTunes songs, they've put together an ad showing a bunch of kids that have been sued by the RIAA for file sharing, and had them say "we're still going to download for free!" - thanks to Pepsi's limited time iTunes promotion, of course.

sued by the RIAA? appear in a pepsi
commercial!

sued by the RIAA? appear in a pepsi
commercial! 01/24/2004 03:32 AM
Pepsi's Superbowl ad for their iTunes promotion .. Pepsi / iTunes giveaway ads to be "sassy" .. Pepsi Ads Wink At Music Downloading .. bashing it has gone mainstream .. wink

usatoday.com/tech/news/2004-01-22-sb-pepsi_x.htm
track this site | 8 links

Nearly 1500 people have been sued by the
RIAA

Nearly 1500 people have been sued by the
RIAA 02/18/2004 02:21 AM
When will the madness end. It seems the RIAA filed another 531 John Doe lawsuits against individuals that they are...

Comcast sued for handing over customer
data to RIAA

Comcast sued for handing over customer
data to RIAA 04/15/2005 03:35 PM
Xeni Jardin: America's largest cable provider is being sued by a woman who claims the company voluntarily forked over her personal account data to the RIAA.

In a lawsuit filed in King County, Wash., Dawnell Leadbetter said that she was contacted by a debt collection agency in January and told to pay a $4,500 for downloading copyright-protected music or face a lawsuit for hundreds of thousands of dollars. Leadbetter, a mother of two teenage children, was a customer of Comcast's high-speed Internet access service.

The company, Settlement Support Center, based in Washington state, was using information that the Recording Industry of Association of America had obtained in a Philadelphia lawsuit over the illegal sharing of digital music files, said Lory Lybeck, the lawyer representing Leadbetter. Making sense of Wi-Fi's alphabet soup

But no court authorized Comcast to release names and addresses of its customers, or notified his client that her information had been given to an outside party, Lybeck said. "Comcast should respect the rights of privacy who pay them monthly bills," Lybeck said.

Link (Thanks, Nat)

Comcast Sued For Giving Customer Info to
RIAA

Comcast Sued For Giving Customer Info to
RIAA 04/15/2005 06:16 PM

Comcast Sued For Handing Over Subscriber
Info To The RIAA

Comcast Sued For Handing Over Subscriber
Info To The RIAA 04/14/2005 06:23 PM
After quite a long battle, the courts finally decided that ISPs didn't have to just hand over subscriber info whenever the RIAA came calling. The RIAA needed to first file a lawsuit and a subpoena -- going through the official legal process to get someone's info. However, what happens when an ISP does just hand over a name? That question is now being raised, as a woman has sued Comcast for disclosing her private information to the recording industry, claiming they violated her privacy. No lawsuit was filed by the RIAA. Comcast just gave her info over to them -- and the RIAA then passed it on to some sort of collections agency. What's strange here is that, while Verizon was clearly willing to fight to protect the privacy of its subscribers, it appears Comcast had no problem rolling right over when the RIAA came calling.

Dead, Non-Computer Owner Sued By The
RIAA For Swapping 700 Songs

Dead, Non-Computer Owner Sued By The
RIAA For Swapping 700 Songs 02/05/2005 09:49 PM
There have been plenty of stories about the entertainment industry threate ning completely innocent people, but now they're getting even worse. According to Broadband Reports among the people sued in the latest batch of lawsuits from the RIAA was an 83-year-old woman who is now deceased. Even when she was alive she never owned a computer, let alone had the username "smittenedkitten," or shared over 700 songs online. The RIAA responds, oh so politely, by saying they'll now dismiss the case. However, that's not the real issue. All of these examples show that the RIAA doesn't really know who's doing what -- and yet they're filing tons of indiscriminate lawsuits. Every time a screwup like this happens, they apologize and remove the lawsuit, but shouldn't they be punished for filing frivolous lawsuits? It's clear that they really don't have the right tools to be able to tell who actually committed a crime. A smart lawyer should use these cases to show that the industry has no real evidence that any of these lawsuits are valid.

Pepsi/iTunes Super Bowl ad to feature
teens sued by RIAA

Pepsi/iTunes Super Bowl ad to feature
teens sued by RIAA 01/23/2004 02:19 PM
About 20 teens sued by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for unauthorized music downloads will appear in Pepsi's upcoming Super Bowl ad, which will launch the 100 million song iTunes promotion on Feb...

Woman sued for file-sharing brings RICO
countersuit against RIAA

Woman sued for file-sharing brings RICO
countersuit against RIAA 02/18/2004 10:53 AM
A New Jersey mom who was sued for file-sharing by the RIAA has brought a countersuit for racketeering.

The Rockaway Township woman, who claims she was targeted for her teenager's school research project, is among hundreds of individuals sued by the music industry since last summer. Another 531 computer users were sued yesterday in "John Doe" suits filed in Trenton, Atlanta, Philadelphia and Orlando.

Labels are using "scare tactics (that) amount to extortion" in efforts to extract settlements, Scimeca alleges in legal papers sent to the U.S. District Court in Newark.

"They're banding together to extort money, telling people they're guilty and they will have to pay big bucks to defend their cases if they don't pony up now. It is fundamentally not fair," Scimeca's lawyer, Bart Lombardo, said yesterday. The Cranford attorney said he occasionally downloads songs for personal use and sees nothing wrong with that.

Link (Thanks, Jason!)

Secure Resolutions Upgrades Their
Anti-Virus Engine to Include
Anti-Spyware, Anti-Adware, Anti-Dialers,
Anti-Hoaxes, Anti-Jokes, and
Anti-Hacking Tools

Secure Resolutions Upgrades Their
Anti-Virus Engine to Include
Anti-Spyware, Anti-Adware, Anti-Dialers,
Anti-Hoaxes, Anti-Jokes, and
Anti-Hacking Tools 06/05/2005 11:14 PM
Secure Resolutions desktop security (Resolution Antivirus™) automatically detects and eliminates all types of viruses, worms, Trojans Horses, dialers, hoaxes, jokes, and hacking tools within a managed desktop security solution. [PRWEB Jun 2, 2005]

UK Anti-Spam Laws Criticised

UK Anti-Spam Laws Criticised 06/13/2004 04:21 AM

Anti-spam laws baffle UK.biz

Anti-spam laws baffle UK.biz 05/07/2004 05:00 AM
The Register May 7 2004 9:11AM GMT

Blair pledges more anti-yob laws

Blair pledges more anti-yob laws 07/06/2004 04:47 AM
Prime Minister Tony Blair pledges further action on anti-social behaviour if new laws are not working.

Should anti-terrorism laws be changed?

Should anti-terrorism laws be changed? 04/23/2004 03:04 PM
The Home Secretary David Blunkett is to ask Parliament to change the law, after a terrorist suspect was freed on bail from prison. Do you agree with him?

No need for anti-spyware laws —
FTC

No need for anti-spyware laws —
FTC 04/21/2004 08:57 AM
User clean thyself

Anti-spam laws now in force in the UK

Anti-spam laws now in force in the UK 12/12/2003 04:35 AM
PublicTechnology.net Dec 12 2003 3:14AM ET

Adware or anti-spyware? Symantec sued

Adware or anti-spyware? Symantec sued 08/03/2004 07:21 AM
ZDNet Aug 3 2004 11:56AM GMT

Pentagon: 'U.S. Not Bound By
Anti-Torture Laws

Pentagon: 'U.S. Not Bound By
Anti-Torture Laws 06/07/2004 11:52 PM
Free Internet Press Jun 8 2004 3:51AM GMT

Anti-Spam Laws Sound Nice, But Won't Do
Much

Anti-Spam Laws Sound Nice, But Won't Do
Much 12/09/2003 02:31 PM
The press is going spam crazy now that Congress has finally agreed on a single spam bill, which will soon be signed into law by the President. However, the people who actually understand the spam problem are slamming this law, and a new UK anti-spam law, both of which will do little, if anything, to stop spam. In some cases, both laws can be seen to legalize certain forms of spam - which will be exploited as a loophole by just about every spammer with at least a few functioning brain cells. As the article points out, both laws are great if you believe that spammers are law-abiding, honest people. Otherwise, they're terrible. However, with all the talk (good and bad) about these spam laws, how come no one is asking how we're going to measure the success or failure of these laws? Everyone just assumes that they'll work (or they won't). Shouldn't we have a built in way to check up on the results six months from now and (more importantly) shouldn't there be a plan B in the likely event that these laws do nothing to slow the spam problem down?

Anti-terror refugee laws 'needed'

Anti-terror refugee laws 'needed' 09/23/2004 06:07 PM
Terrorists should not be allowed to hide behind asylum and refugee laws, the UK foreign secretary tells the UN.

European anti-spam laws lack bite

European anti-spam laws lack bite 04/28/2004 08:46 AM
European laws to limit spam will have little or no effect warn researchers.

Australia to Get Software Patents and
Anti-Circumvention Laws

Australia to Get Software Patents and
Anti-Circumvention Laws 08/03/2004 12:26 PM
Slashdot Aug 3 2004 4:06PM GMT

EU discusses action against those
flouting anti-spam laws

EU discusses action against those
flouting anti-spam laws 01/27/2004 06:39 AM
PublicTechnology.net Jan 27 2004 10:30AM GMT

Anti-spam laws bite spammer hard

Anti-spam laws bite spammer hard 04/01/2005 07:06 AM
Legal action has driven one of the net's biggest spammers to declare bankruptcy protection.

Austin business sued in Microsoft
anti-counterfeiting case

Austin business sued in Microsoft
anti-counterfeiting case 04/11/2005 11:38 PM
bizjournals.com Apr 12 2005 4:05AM GMT

Chinese anti-trust laws don't faze
Microsoft's Gates

Chinese anti-trust laws don't faze
Microsoft's Gates 07/02/2004 03:04 AM
Financial Post Jul 2 2004 7:28AM GMT

Rogue cop invents anti-WiFi laws, shakes
down man-of-cloth

Rogue cop invents anti-WiFi laws, shakes
down man-of-cloth 08/22/2004 11:28 PM
Cory Doctorow: A copper outside of the Athenaeum in Illinois shoook down the Reverend AKMA -- the bloggin' theologian -- who was using the library's WiFi from out front of the building. The incident that unfolded is flabberghasting, with the cop inventing whole new laws and then insisting that AKMA was violating them:

"Sir, you can't use the Internet outside the library."

I said, "What?" (I'm pretty clever under pressure.)

The officer in question (whose conduct was entirely professional, firm, and calm behind those mirrored shades) solemnly assured me that in order to use the library's open wireless signal, I had to be seated within the library. The officer then wandered on back to the nearby police station.

I dutifully, if reluctantly, turned off the power to my Airport card and, since I had only been on the bench a few minutes, began working -- offline -- on what turns out to be this post. I had noticed two other weak but open signals in the area, and I figured that I could post this perplexing moment via one of the other open signals, then scuttle back to the studio. As I was writing, the officer returned and -- as the officer walked straight for me -- I held up my TiBook, pointing to the zero lines in the Airport icon, and showed the officer that my card was off.

"Why don't you just close that up, sir, or use your computer elsewhere?'

I closed the computer in order not to constitute a threat to established order, but engaged this peace officer in a discussion of the complexities of the topic. "I did notice several other open signals in the area -- am I allowed to connect to them?"

"Maybe if you had permission it would be all right, but it's a new law, sir; 'theft of signal.' It would be like if you stole someone's cable TV connection."

Link (Thanks, AKMA!)
Grok Description matches for RIAA being sued for violating anti-racketeering laws
GrokA matches for RIAA being sued for violating anti-racketeering laws

Township bypass campaign launches online
letter

Township bypass campaign launches online
letter 07/21/2004 06:15 AM
Philly.com - Wed Jul 21, 09:26 am GMT

The biggest bully

The biggest bully 03/11/2003 01:59 PM
Maureen Dowd, whose writing I generally despise, has partially redeemed herself in my eyes today with the best one sentence description of Bush's foreign policy that I have seen yet: "Bush officials believe that making the world more scared of us is the best way to make us safer and less scared." I think her description is right on, but I don't buy the reasoning -- in fact I believe that the opposite is true. If people who disagree with American policies think that America doesn't listen to anybody and willing to use overwhelming military force at its sole discretion, what kind of tactics are they likely to use to oppose American policies? Terrorism. The historical record on stamping out terrorism solely by the use of force, without any attempt to satisfy the complaints harnessed by the terrorists, is terrible. Just ask anyone from Ireland or Israel. Being the biggest bully doesn't mean you that you won't get hurt, it just means that you won't get punched in the face. It provides no guarantees for your back or your genitalia....

Spam Bully 2.1.0.0 for O

Spam Bully 2.1.0.0 for O 06/16/2004 07:33 PM
Techzonez Jun 16 2004 11:16PM GMT

Talk about a bully pulpit

Talk about a bully pulpit 04/23/2004 01:38 PM

My Brother, the Bully (Forbes.com)

My Brother, the Bully (Forbes.com) 06/03/2004 06:53 PM
Forbes.com - They say you can't pick your family. A small systems management software company called Altiris has learned that all too well. The Lindon, Utah company was created and financed a couple of years ago by a tech incubator called Canopy Group. Canopy is also behind the better-known--but much-despised (and unprofitable)--SCO Group. That software firm is suing IBM for $50 billion over Linux copyrights, which has angered ardent fans of the free operating system.

Bully Oracle beats SAP to Retek

Bully Oracle beats SAP to Retek 04/12/2005 05:28 AM
And for just $670m

RIAA Loses Power To Bully

RIAA Loses Power To Bully 01/16/2004 01:03 PM
Isn't it funny how, once a bully has been scolded by someone more powerful, they seem a lot more powerless? That's what ISPs are suddenly discovering about the RIAA. Following Verizon's win over the RIAA concerning subpoenas for those sharing music, the RIAA's latest tactic has been to send letters to various ISPs, asking them to send nastygrams to any users the RIAA identifies. The thinking is that, with all the lawsuits already in the news, these nastygrams will have the same impact as the lawsuits and get people to stop sharing music. The only problem is that the ISPs no longer seem afraid of the RIAA and aren't necessarily willing to roll over and take orders from the RIAA any more. Or, at least, they're not willing to publicly admit that they will. In the article there are a bunch of quotes from ISP spokespeople that basically seem to say "well, we don't want to say anything publicly, but we might agree to send on nastygrams."

Online brokers bully Schwab

Online brokers bully Schwab 08/08/2004 05:44 AM
Thestate.com - Sun Aug 8, 09:18 am GMT

Bad Air and Water, and a Bully Pulpit in
China

Bad Air and Water, and a Bully Pulpit in
China 09/25/2004 02:06 AM
Pan Yue's job as deputy director of China's top environmental agency has given him the opportunity to put environmentalism on the national agenda.

Woman Accused of Assaulting Alleged
Bully (AP)

Woman Accused of Assaulting Alleged
Bully (AP) 07/26/2004 10:58 PM
AP - Police have charged a woman with assaulting an 11-year-old boy she says bullied her son at Lake Compounce amusement park.

Spam Bully for Outlook 2.0.0.19 Beta
Released

Spam Bully for Outlook 2.0.0.19 Beta
Released 10/28/2003 11:07 PM

Teachers claim heads bully staff

Teachers claim heads bully staff 03/30/2005 07:11 AM
A teachers' union complains that many head teachers bully their staff, creating a climate of fear.

Spam Bully for Outlook Express 2.0.0.73
Beta Released

Spam Bully for Outlook Express 2.0.0.73
Beta Released 02/18/2004 04:05 PM

Financial Times - Comment - The saviour
of democracy is run by a unilateral
bully

Financial Times - Comment - The saviour
of democracy is run by a unilateral
bully 05/14/2004 06:12 AM

search.ft.com/search/article.html?id=040512000157
track this site | 6 links

Former State Dept Official Depicts
Bolton as Bully (Reuters)

Former State Dept Official Depicts
Bolton as Bully (Reuters) 04/12/2005 04:04 PM
Reuters - President Bush's nominee for U.N. ambassador, John Bolton, was depicted at a Senate hearing on Tuesday as a bully who tried to force an analyst to bend intelligence on Cuba's weapons to fit a speech he was giving.

RIAA being sued for violating anti-racketeering laws

The following phrases have been identified by the grok system as matching this entry: bully rockaway township " "