Comments on: RIAA: Jammie Thomas snubbed our settlement 'overture'

Thomas-Rasset's lawyers told music industry she'll only discuss a deal that doesn't require her to pay or admit guilt.

[kool_skatkat]

Unless internet access is free, someboy pays somewhere. Maybe the money doesn't get to the music creator, but somebody pays. Universities, it's part of the cost structure. Home users, they pay the ISP.

[A41202813]

Copyrights And Patents Should Be Enforced For Only A Hand Full Of Years.

What Has Happened In Thailand And HIV Drugs ?

If RIAA Has Gone Down To 5000, Maybe She Can Settle For A Lot Less.

Drag The Case Until You Can Drag No More, And Settle For The Least Amount.

[MrBoomshadow]

I can't help but notice the constant stream of insults from the pro-RIAA crowd, particularly baconstang and sciontcya. Do you really think that helps your case?

What tends to get lost in cases like this is the issue of ARTIST COMPENSATION, which is supposed to be central to these cases, but which seems to slip the minds of the RIAA after the public tunes out. Without the artists, none of this music would have existed in the first place, but the labels and their legal help seem to get almost all the money.

Yes, artists often sign bad contracts to get into labels; up until recently, little choice existed. That doesn't excuse the labels for offering them. If Thomas-Rasset was found guilty, then she is liable under the law, which unfortunately favors the labels over the rights of the artist even more so than over the audience. While the law should provide penalties for copyright infringement, excessive damages help nobody. They certainly don't help the artists, who have yet to see any money from settlements or verdicts reached "on their behalf," and since the RIAA is unlikely to collect the amount they demand from Thomas-Rasset, the penalties don't really help them. Obviously, they also don't do a whole lot for Ms. Thomas-Rasset, either.

The pro-RIAA crowd consistently crows about audiences' "sense of entitlement" while ignoring the RIAA's. It's time for laws that treat everyone equally.

It's also time for civility here in this discussion.

[wshwe]

The RIAA is trying to save face, but failing badly. Thomas shouldn't have forced to admit guilt to settle. Shame on the RIAA!

[sklranch]

The RIAA needs to get off it's current position and realize they can never stop what is going on with downloads and file sharing.

I support Jammie not paying one dime to anyone.

The RIAA is the most hated group in the world. You would think with all their brain power they could come up with a better solution that would be acceptable to everyone and generate more money for all those that are ******** about there music being stolen. The old days are over....accept the new ways or stay broke.

We encourage our fans and potential fans to steal all our music...the more they steal the more successful our artist.

It's time for change in the way we do business, in music. Music World 1.0 is DEAD! Music World 2.0, is where everything is headed and there is not anything anyone could do to stop it. Embrace it or be left behind. If you want to know more, read and watch everything Gerd Leonard has to say....he's got it right; right for the future of music and everyone getting paid their fair share.

I have never seen so many whiners in an industry in my life. Continue to allow the RIAA and their lawyers to run everything and the bottom line is: Everyone is Screwed except the lawyers.

Wake up and embrace the chance that is coming!

We are advocates of an annual fee that will be collected by an appointed agency from everyone in the USA and hopefully in the world. The best way we see is for this to be part of everyone's income tax filing each year. These annual collections would be turned over to an oversight group to be distributed to everyone requiring payment. Yes, there are a lot of details to work out, but, it can be done. This method does not allow anyone not to pay for a renewed annual license. The fee: $52 / year / person. So if you have 4 dependents you would pay $208 each year. This would amount to several trillion in collections each year which is a hundred fold more than the entire global music business is worth today. Everyone becomes legal and can download as much music as they like and share with everyone.

Let's find solutions that benefits everyone and stop this lunacy in Music World 1.0.

---end

[hassan_bin_sober]

Best thing for RIAA folks would be a sudden case of good old fashioned lead poisoning!