RIAA's Attack On NewYorkCountryLawyer Fails 222
NewYorkCountryLawyer writes "p2pnet.net reports that the RIAA has egg on its face. When the Electronic Frontier Foundation requested permission to file an amicus curiae brief on behalf of Boston University students challenging the RIAA's ex parte discovery order, the RIAA lawyers attacked the blog 'Recording Industry vs. The People' for its criticism of the RIAA as seeking to 'abuse the American judicial system, distort copyright law, and frighten ordinary working people and their children' and then falsely claimed that the blog's author is an EFF attorney — this despite the fact that they know that the blog's author (known on Slashdot as NewYorkCountryLawyer) is a partner in a New York law firm and not an EFF attorney. Judge Gertner apparently wasn't impressed, and granted the EFF's motion, rejecting the RIAA's objections, since she felt amici curiae might 'shed light' on the 'copyright law' and 'computer technology' issues before her."
NewYorkCountryLawyer (Score:5, Funny)
But my pop-culture saturated brain always translates that username as, "Single Female Lawyer," and I worry about visitors from Omicron Persei 7.
Re:NewYorkCountryLawyer (Score:4, Funny)
Re:NewYorkCountryLawyer (Score:5, Funny)
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Now that the writer's strike is over, you should shop your story in Hollywood. It's part Erin Brockovich, part "Anatomy of a Murder" with a "lawyer with a heart of gold" main character. Hollywood LOVES remakes.
Thanks for all of your time and effort on this.
Off topic:
how do we, as non-lawyer types, bring some of the lawyers working for the RIAA up to their respective Bar Association for ethical/procedural violations? I would hope that would contain the RIAA better.
Re:NewYorkCountryLawyer (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:NewYorkCountryLawyer (Score:5, Funny)
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abuse the American judicial system, distort copyright law, and frighten ordinary working people and their children
But please, stop abusing the American judicial system, please refrain from distorting copyright law and may I kindly mention that it's not nice to frighten ordinary people.
Don't you think of their children?
Re:NewYorkCountryLawyer (Score:4, Insightful)
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Re:More Like NewYorkCountryChampion (Score:5, Insightful)
Luckily, once I read his posts, I was quite impressed and informed but also saddened [slashdot.org] by the way he was treated [slashdot.org] when he was first interviewed on Slashdot. But lucky for us, he keeps contributing massively and acts as a bridge between us and that strange foreign legal world where logic will get you killed.
Furthermore, I hope I get a follow up story where NewYorkCountryLawyer gets mad and pushes back. Of all the people assaulted by the RIAA, he's the most likely to be able to comprehensively do something about that. Hats off to you, Ty & Ray!
Just, please, NYCL, for the love of God whatever you do do not install P2P client software on your computer at this point!
Re:More Like NewYorkCountryChampion (Score:5, Interesting)
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If you didn't enjoy it, you would have picked the wrong field.....
Layne
Re:More Like NewYorkCountryChampion (Score:5, Funny)
Re:More Like NewYorkCountryChampion (Score:4, Funny)
-nB
Re:More Like NewYorkCountryChampion (Score:4, Funny)
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Re:More Like NewYorkCountryChampion (Score:4, Funny)
Re:More Like NewYorkCountryChampion (Score:4, Informative)
The RIAA's lawyers never concede anything unless the judge calls them on it. (See, e.g. Transcript of January 26, 2007, oral argument in Elektra v. Barker [blogspot.com].). Even then, the next time they're in court with a different judge, they'll say the same stupid thing anyway, hoping the second judge won't find out about the first one.
Hyperchicken? More like Unfrozen Caveman Lawyer. (Score:2, Funny)
"When I see a solar eclipse, like the one I went to last year in Hawaii, I think 'Oh no! Is the moon eating the sun?' I don't know. Because I'm a caveman -- that's the way I think."
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Seriously though that was pretty funny, although wasn't it Omicron Persei 8?
Signed,
purple haired feak (yeah my hair is purple now, as homage to my favorite TV show!)
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Seriously, make your own site, use the tagline "News for Nerds who Despise Culture", and go to town.
Lesson being learned by the RIAA here: (Score:4, Insightful)
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The industry will undoubtedly go down kicking and screaming, but down it will go - of th
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I disagree. I think instead that, "The industry AS IT IS NOW will undoubtedly go down kicking and screaming, but down it will go UNLESS IT CHANGES."
Imagine if the Recording Industry decided to offer up its music at one "low price" [itunes.com], or perhaps they decided to offer non-DRMed tracks [amazon.com] (perhaps for an extra dollar [itunes.com]. Or maybe they could offer an "all you can eat" monthly subscription [rhapsody.com], or ma
Re:Lesson being learned by the RIAA here: (Score:5, Funny)
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It's death throes, not death throws! THROES. GAAaaahhh! (grabs wax doll, removes RIAA sticker and a few pins, writes "Bombula" on a tag and pins it to doll. Grabs said doll and swings violently against remains of a TV, then bashes with a copy of Mein Strunk.) Death THROES of RIAA ! THROES!! AHahaha! (throes doll out the window, takes deep breath, checks medication...)
For the non lawyers (Score:5, Informative)
Re:For the non lawyers (Score:5, Funny)
Now you tell me.
Re:For the non lawyers (Score:5, Funny)
Re:For the non lawyers (Score:5, Funny)
IANAL, but I have represented myself on numerous occasions against various traffic infractions, so I have much experience on all matters of law.
I can see why you would be confused.
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Re:IANAL-BIPOOS (Score:5, Funny)
Re:IANAL-BIPOOS (Score:5, Funny)
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"Maybe you should settle out of court. Want a lollipop?"
What a pathetic settlement offer. I've suffered great harm here; I deserve to get the whole candy store!!
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Do rules lawyers [wikipedia.org] count?
Geez Louise, (Score:2, Interesting)
Maybe claim that if you share ear buds with your friend, that you're "stealing" the music? That you should be prosecuted for theft?
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Re:Geez Louise,-HEY, IN SCOTLAND... (Score:4, Informative)
Don't laugh. In Scotland just a few months ago, a car repair facility was fined for public performance without a license because the mechanics doing the repairs were playing their radios loud enough for customers in the waiting area to hear. Remember that radios are licensed in Britain, and that they can be really stupid at times. Especially since the customers could have listened to exactly the same station on their own radios without a problem.
RIAA = SCO? (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:RIAA = SCO? (Score:5, Insightful)
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While there are certainly industry types and perhaps some
related business owners that might be familiar with them,
the RIAA might as well be SCO.
As far as whether or not those who know know well enough
to despise them... well, there's that last bit about the
RIAA trying to reduce songwriter royalties. So don't be
so sure that the non-geeks aren't aware of how evil the
RIAA is.
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Also, SCO got upset at PJ on GrokLaw, just as RIAA is getting upset at NYCL on his site. I forget the specifics, but I recall that SCO tried to defame PJ's character for reporting truthfully in regards to their case.
Comment removed (Score:5, Funny)
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Anyway, if indeed what you are saying is true, I nominate "You have long chained proteins on your face!" as something funnier to say when someone is walking around with his wiener hanging out.
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I do not think those words mean what you think they mean.
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Ha! Where I'm from, we say "Kennywood's open!"
50 Imaginary mod points to the first person to correctly localize that euphemism!
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Re:Euphemisms (Score:4, Informative)
I love NewYorkCountyLawyer (Score:5, Funny)
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And If I have mod points that day, will give him an "Informative" or "Underrated" mod!
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That's the easy part. The hard part is getting it on slashdot's front page. Since Mr. Beckerman is writing about something that is near and dear to many slashdotters' hearts (mine included) it's easy for him, hard for you and me.
Speaking of which, I apologize for the dearth of self-referential slashdot journals lately.
Re:I love NewYorkCountyLawyer (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:I love NewYorkCountyLawyer (Score:5, Funny)
A lawyer will have many dates while a geek or nerd will have none. You might wow a girl by bringing her home to your mansion and serving her fine wine & caviar, a Slashdotter will call upstairs to his mother for more rice krispy treats and kool aid.
You know your bounds on expertise and the law is your opinion. The Slashdotter knows no bounds on his expertise and his opinion is the law.
So you see, dad, if you try and communicate with these beings, you best not make a mistake or confuse Shatner with Nimoy or you'll face the most demeaning comments the internet has ever seen.
Re:I love NewYorkCountyLawyer (Score:4, Interesting)
Remember,
(a) he's a geek too, and
(b) I'm basically a nerd, although I've misplaced the pocket protectors which served me so well during my days at Bronx High School of Science.
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I liked the writers embellishment. I never laughed so hard in my life. I'm glad you posted earlier that you enjoyed the roasting on Slashdot. You gotta admit, it was very funny.
Welcome to Slashdot where the line between humor and flame is very small and many fail to see it. Your son is welcome too. Keep up the good work. I would hate to see the damage the RIAA would do without you. Thanks. Give'em hell.
been both places (Score:4, Informative)
As an ex-sysadmin turned lawyer I can assure you, to my great chagrin, that is not true.
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Re:We love the NewYorkCountyLawyer!!!! (Score:3, Interesting)
One day you found a post on your blog about RIAA litigation, getting clobbered by visitors from a place called "slashdot.org" where an typically amazing Talmudic debate spiced with trolls was under way, in which various participants were citing to various segments of various litigation documents and transcripts, mixed with impassioned semi-correct theories.
Every time such a story appears, we say to ourselves:
"Who the heck are we? We're clearly an internet discussion board,
Re:I love NewYorkCountyLawyer (Score:4, Funny)
But now that I've done it, I'm glad I did, because I'm reading some of the funniest comments I've ever read, such as this one [slashdot.org], this one [slashdot.org], and this one [slashdot.org]. And the thread is only about 20 minutes old at this point, so I would say we're just getting warmed up.
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Re:I love NewYorkCountyLawyer (Score:5, Insightful)
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Now, go crack some more eggs!!
[This is the RIAA. This is the RIAA fried with bacon. Any questions??]
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Layne
Dr. Seuss (Score:2, Funny)
Only a judge of good character (Score:5, Funny)
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nycl: an offer (Score:5, Interesting)
i am not looking for a soap box, i am offering you a soap box. if you ever had dreams of pulling a michael moore or a morgan spurlock [imdb.com] on the riaa, let's do it
call it "taking on the riaa", or i am sure you can think of a better title. we can sample some of the more egregious bastard things these guys pull, and document, in real time, as they are taken down in case after case, digesting it into something more palatable for the mainstream public by explaining to them why it should matter (in a cinematic way, not a talky way: interview say that woman from wappingers falls who was attacked). emotionally, it would simply be little guy versus vile conglomerate. all factual, no stagey theatrics. but not boring and dry legalese. done right, it would be cinema gold
i'm 100% serious. if you are game, i am willing to commit serious time to this. lead us on nycl. i am sure there are other slashdotters who would sign on to this too
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Off Topic: The link in your Sig to "bangamovie.com" seems to point to a Domain Squatter.
On topic:
Word of caution: Making a film is hard work, but you probably know that from the low budget film you are producing. I have personally put together a "movie [metaphrast.com]" of an experience I had last summer. This came together over the course of 2 weeks of filming and 3-4 months of editing. Mind you, I didn't have to any of the things that you'll have to do such as (a) research, (b) write a script, (c) edit the script
if you put in on emule (Score:2)
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Number 1 rule of message board self-promotion, when you refer to your project ALWAYS provide the link you want people to use.
I found an interview with iRATE Radio Creator Anthony Jones [kuro5hin.org], a SourceForge page [sourceforge.net], and the Wikipedia article. [wikipedia.org]
Number 2 rule of self-promotion, explain why I should care. In the case of iRate, you should probably say something like:
iRate is a Legal Mp3 aggregation tool that finds highly rated, copyleft music that matches a users preferences and automagically downloads it into the
Definition of Amicus Curiae (Score:5, Informative)
From Wikipedia [wikipedia.org]
In case anyone else was wondering what amicus curiae meant.
Oh Noes! A judge making an informed decision... (Score:2)
The courts are going to be fair?
What ever shall become of the RIAA?
c'mon RIAA, go frontal, not guerrilla (Score:3, Interesting)
Well, RIAA lawyers, the answer is simple. Show the world you believe what you say. Sue NYCL for libel! Take on Harvard too, while you're at it. The aggrieved tone of that statement tries to make the accusation sound ridiculous. So why don't you RIAA guys put your money where your mouth is, and sue? You have full confidence you will win, don't you, because he's wrong? Or could it be he's right, and you're nothing but a bunch of sulky bullies spouting trash talk from a safe distance? Guess you haven't got guts enough to take him on, and that says it all right there. This attempt to quash a brief is the equivalent of wishing you could have someone arrested and jailed, but in absence of any reason to do so settling for walking your dog over to fertilize his yard. Weak.
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RIAA = slashdot.org?
Question for NewYorkCountryLawyer (Score:3, Insightful)
Was the false association that the RIAA made between you and the RIAA ever set straight to the court? I know that if anyone tried to falsely associate me to an organization in such a manner, even to an upstanding organization such as EFF, I would be writing all kinds of letters attempting to set the record straight.
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Also want to know (Score:2)
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Bravo! (Score:4, Informative)
Muchos Kudos to NYCL (Score:4, Insightful)
NewYorkCountryLawyer: I'm a fan (Score:3, Funny)
I guess the RIAA hate it when you lift up the rock from under which they dwell, and expose their churning, writhing selves to the bright sunlight of truth.
Re:Is this really significant? (Score:5, Informative)
What is unusual -- in fact in 34 1/2 years of experience in litigation I don't think I've ever seen it happen -- is for some lawyer to be moronic enough to oppose. The RIAA lawyers are the only lawyers I have ever seen do such a thing. They've done it at least twice now, and lost both times.
And what is also unusual is for a member of the Bar to deliberately lie to a federal judge, because the consequences which can flow from that to the lawyer's career are huge. These lawyers deliberately lied to the Judge when they represented that I am an Electronic Frontier Foundation. They also lied to the Judge when they implied that the quote they'd extracted was from February 5, 2008, when in fact it was from months earlier.
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Re:Is this really significant? (Score:4, Funny)
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