RIAA and 'Why I became a music pirate'

The RIAA have set up a web site where students who have been sued can 'pre-pay' what the RIAA calculates is owed for the music they have pirated to avoid the hassle of going to court. The FAQs are a fascinating read.

Love this one:
If the record companies negotiated a settlement with the P2P service I used, can they still sue me?
Yes. You are still responsible for your actions and the harm that you have caused.

Don't destroy the evidence:
Can I avoid this lawsuit if I immediately delete the illegal music and file-trafficking service from my computer?
No. Furthermore, once litigation becomes a possibility, deleting music files or the P2P service from your computer would violate your obligation to preserve evidence.

I am wondering how the RIAA quantifies harm? Sure we hear that CD sales are down by 20% but what we do not hear is how much new revenue the music companies are making from ringtones and downloads. The margin on electronic media must be huge. Surely the growth in this 'new' medium must offset the loss in CD sales?

And while we are on the subject here is a letter from a dedicated and honest music fan who has had a rather bad experience with DRM. It appears this man has a problem with activating a license on his home computer so this is the suggestion from Rhino music store:

The friendly CSR representative then suggests that I try once more to download the files and licenses and if I still have no luck to try accessing the internet from other providers such as a local coffee shop, library, or work computer.

"Basically, just keep downloading the music until you find a gateway that let's your licenses through without problems"

Great solution Rhino and keep up the good work RIAA. You both are obviously focused on customer service and consumer loyalty.

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