Skip to Content
Uncategorized

The MP3 Extortionists

Is the record industry guilty of extortion? Here’s the latest salvo from the battles over online piracy. A woman in New Jersey who was sued for illegally downloading songs has countersued the Recording Industry Association of America, the group representing…
February 20, 2004

Is the record industry guilty of extortion? Here’s the latest salvo from the battles over online piracy. A woman in New Jersey who was sued for illegally downloading songs has countersued the Recording Industry Association of America, the group representing the major labels; she asserts that the RIAA is using its suit to intimidate her, Sopranos style, into settling out of court. 381 out of the 531 downloaders sued thus far have chosen to settle.

While the lawyers figure out whether this does or doesn’t constitute extortion, the fact that these suits/countersuits exist is a crime in itself. The industry has a right to protect its interests, but surely the bigwigs realize that, no matter how many suits they file, the downloading will continue. The success of the emerging market for digital download services, such as iTunes, proves that there is cash to be made, legally. It’s time the industry step aside, forget about bullying milk money, and focus on creating some meaningful reasons for people not to swipe MP3s in the first place.

Keep Reading

Most Popular

DeepMind’s cofounder: Generative AI is just a phase. What’s next is interactive AI.

“This is a profound moment in the history of technology,” says Mustafa Suleyman.

What to know about this autumn’s covid vaccines

New variants will pose a challenge, but early signs suggest the shots will still boost antibody responses.

Human-plus-AI solutions mitigate security threats

With the right human oversight, emerging technologies like artificial intelligence can help keep business and customer data secure

Next slide, please: A brief history of the corporate presentation

From million-dollar slide shows to Steve Jobs’s introduction of the iPhone, a bit of show business never hurt plain old business.

Stay connected

Illustration by Rose Wong

Get the latest updates from
MIT Technology Review

Discover special offers, top stories, upcoming events, and more.

Thank you for submitting your email!

Explore more newsletters

It looks like something went wrong.

We’re having trouble saving your preferences. Try refreshing this page and updating them one more time. If you continue to get this message, reach out to us at customer-service@technologyreview.com with a list of newsletters you’d like to receive.