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RIAA Files More Suits

By Steven Salkin, Esq., Managing Editor
February 17, 2004

Using the “John Doe” method, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) filed another 531 lawsuits against file downloaders on Feb. 17.

The “John Doe” method is being used by the Association due to a federal appeals court ruling in Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) v. Verizon Internet Services, No. 03-7015 (D.C. Cir. Dec. 19, 2003). The court decisively reversed an earlier district court ruling that the RIAA could use subpoenas under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA, 17 U.S.C. 1201-05 (2000)) to obtain the identities of P2P music file sharers from ISPs that merely provide them with Internet access accounts. (For more, see RIAA Resumes Legal Offensive: Recording Industry Association Uses John Doe Lawsuits Against P2P File-Swapping Post-Verizon).

 ”Legal online music services are delivering a high-quality, consumer-friendly experience, and they're attracting new fans,” said Cary Sherman, RIAA president. “But they shouldn't have to compete with businesses based on illegal downloading.”

The latest law suits were filed in federal courts in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Trenton, NJ and Orlnado, FL. The RIAA also said that it was beginning the process of issuing subpoenas to learn the identity of 333 downloaders named in the first set of “John Doe” suits filed in January.

Using the “John Doe” method, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) filed another 531 lawsuits against file downloaders on Feb. 17.

The “John Doe” method is being used by the Association due to a federal appeals court ruling in Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) v. Verizon Internet Services, No. 03-7015 (D.C. Cir. Dec. 19, 2003). The court decisively reversed an earlier district court ruling that the RIAA could use subpoenas under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA, 17 U.S.C. 1201-05 (2000)) to obtain the identities of P2P music file sharers from ISPs that merely provide them with Internet access accounts. (For more, see RIAA Resumes Legal Offensive: Recording Industry Association Uses John Doe Lawsuits Against P2P File-Swapping Post-Verizon).

 ”Legal online music services are delivering a high-quality, consumer-friendly experience, and they're attracting new fans,” said Cary Sherman, RIAA president. “But they shouldn't have to compete with businesses based on illegal downloading.”

The latest law suits were filed in federal courts in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Trenton, NJ and Orlnado, FL. The RIAA also said that it was beginning the process of issuing subpoenas to learn the identity of 333 downloaders named in the first set of “John Doe” suits filed in January.

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