Looks like the major music labels and movie studios just took one in the shorts over peer-to-peer file sharing software vendors.

Please see link below.

HPG

Interesting that this ruling occured under a motion for summary judgement...

the whole file sharing issue is quite a dilemma - clearly, we shouldn't get all our music/movies.whatever for free...  If artists couldn't make a living, there would be no music, etc...

But even more clear is the fact the the RIAA and entertainment Cos. have failed miserably in meeting consumers' needs.  They appear to simply want all control.  

CDs should cost $5, not $15.  We should be able to download any version of a song by a group if we have bought it once.  And if like me, you bought and wore out vinyl LPs in the 70s & 80s - all that material should be free game.

If you buy music and find it offensive, you should be able to return it.  I bought Macy Gray's album after all the fuss at the Grammy's a couple years ago about U2 getting "her" award.  I found the music distasteful, but Best Buy won't refund any opened music.  

The RIAA needs to stop listening to their lawyers, breakdown the old business models, and provide creative new solutions.  IMO, they are more likely to prosecute individuals who download copyrighted material.

enough already, sorry for the rant....

That SONY was being sued by the RIAA in about 1982 or 1983 for the Beta Max they had just released to consumers. The industry cited the same arguments, and lost then too.

Eventually VHS overran the video market and Beta Max was a casualty of popularity over performance, but the demand dictates the market, and SONY produced VHS format recorders/players to keep stride.

I think that artists have a right to earn a living and I do support that right. I buy the DVD, or CD music, video, etc. It's just nice to download some MP3 songs from the album to know if you're getting a "good" album or a one hit wonder.

The draconian return policies of companies like Best Buy, etc. make me less and less prone to take a chance on an album with one good song and a bunch of crummy ones. So I have no plans to curtail my MP3 downloads. My vehicle has a CD player that I can also play MP3 files on, so that's great for those long hunting road trips with my dog. He likes the Grateful Dead.

I'd be interested to hear some from some of the folks in the industry and what their ideas on the subject are.

Cheers,

HPG

Woo Hoo!!!  While I think that the artists in the music industry should get their money, I know that I'm still going to be downloading my mp3's, videos, and whatever else I can find.... I'm thankful everyday for P2P software like Kazaa and WinMX.  

Jaclyn