Will Obama's DOJ Intervene To Help RIAA? 546
NewYorkCountryLawyer writes "In SONY BMG Music Entertainment v. Cloud, a Pennsylvania case in which the RIAA's statutory damages theory — seeking from 2,200 to 450,000 times the amount of actual damages — is being tested, the US Department of Justice has just filed papers indicating that it is considering intervening in the case to defend the constitutionality of such awards, and requesting an extension of time (PDF) in which to decide whether such intervention 'is appropriate.' This is an early test of whether President Obama will make good on his promises (a) not to allow industry insiders to participate in cases affecting the industry they represented (the 2nd and 3rd highest DOJ officials are RIAA lawyers) and (b) to look out for ordinary citizens rather than big corporations."
This needs a goodluckwiththat tag. (Score:1, Funny)
Given all the worship directed at The One by /. commentors, reaction to this one ought to be a beaut. I can't wait to hear how cow-towing to the record companies and movie moguls is somehow all Bush's fault.
Elimination of piracy calls for strong government (Score:0, Funny)
I hope the entire force and power of the federal government will be placed into the global war against copyright infringement. The RIAA needs all the help it can get in this tough fight. They're only one organization expending millions of dollars to protect their rights. They are outnumbered by the pirates. Only a force as powerful as the federal government can give the RIAA the boost it needs to win this fight for the good of the entire population. In addition to providing this boost, new legislation is needed which will place a nationally mandated minimum price of $20 per song, $60 per movie under 90 minutes in length, $80 per movie 90 minutes or more in length and under 120 minutes in length, and, and $100 per movie 120 minutes in length or longer. There should also be a new tax to help fund the effort to fight copyright infringement. I think a 15% tax on the licensing price of all intellectual property will be adequate initially and will be embraced by an understanding public. This would be called the Intellectual Property Protection Tax, and would be charged in addition to regular sales tax and other taxes which may apply. This revitalized effort to fight theft of intellectual property will satisfy the needs of both content producers and consumers, stimulate the economy, and eliminate a substantial amount of the illegal piracy that is taking place.
Oh dear! (Score:3, Funny)
Why is anyone surprised?
You actually were dumb enough to expect different?
Sony v. Cloud (Score:3, Funny)
In SONY BMG Music Entertainment v. Cloud,...
So they've finally done it. The RIAA's legal expertise has lead them to sue the internet.
That's not even possible... (Score:2, Funny)
...seeking from 2,200 to 450,000 times the amount of actual damages...
I've only seen up to 8000, anything over 9000 would just be ridiculous.
Comment removed (Score:3, Funny)
Re:Obama == Bush (corporate friend)? (Score:5, Funny)
So if Obama is the bad guy because he won, does that make McCain the good guy?
No. They're both corrupt, rotten to the core, and beholden to corporate interests. Also, they kick puppies.
Re:those DOJ appointments were just plain stupid. (Score:3, Funny)
You have two lawyers with proven track records of a) using evidence that was obtained illegally, and b) suing people with no evidence at all, c) suing the wrong people, and d) participating in a campaign of frivolous litigation.
Yeah but other than that, what do you have against them? Picky, picky.
Re:Obama == Bush (corporate friend)? (Score:3, Funny)
Also, they kick puppies.
No, only Obama does that. McCain is a dog person, so he kicks kittens.
(Bush? He kicked both, and hamsters to boot)
Re:Obama == Bush (corporate friend)? (Score:4, Funny)
then you'd better come up with a definition of what you mean by "well-regulated," and who checks my "regularity."
While I don't want to be the person to check your regularity, I might recommend a diet that is high in fiber.