Labels Seek $2.5 Million in Damages from The Pirate Bay; “Record companies can go screw themselves,” says The Pirate Bay
By Mango Starr on Apr 2 2008
Back in January, The Pirate Bay's founders were accused of being accessories to copyright infringement by studios and labels, including Warner, MGM, Sony BMG, Columbia Pictures, and 20th Century Fox (TMT News). And now -- surprise, surprise -- The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) wanna piece too, a $2.5 million one, for the sharing of 24 albums, 9 movies, and 4 video games. Serious shit? Wouldn't appear to be, according to co-founder Gottfried Svartholm Warg's responses in Sweden's The Local:
- Response 1: "Record companies can go screw themselves."
- Response 2: "We mostly laughed at [the claim]."
- Response 3: "It doesn't appear if the record companies have much of a strategy at all."
- Response 4: "[The IFPI's] numbers are pure fantasy."
- Response 5: "As usual, we're not too concerned."
Frankly, I'd just pay the $2.5 million. Life's too short to stand for anything.
Sony BMG Accused of Software Piracy
By Mr P on Apr 2 2008
PointDev, a French company that makes Windows admin software, has accused Sony BMG of pirating software. And it's not just one or two programs, but as much as 47% of Sony BMG's servers are suspected of running pirated software, according to a recent raid.
Here's a translated quote from the company (via the original story and ZeroPaid):
We are not interested in an amicable settlement. It is not just a question of money but more importantly in principle. The rate of software piracy in the company is very high. [...] We are forced to watch every week if key software pirates are not on the Internet. We are a small company of six employees. Instead of trying to protect us, we could spend this time to develop ourselves.
The raid, conducted by the Business Software Alliance, was implemented after a Sony IT sought help with a program called Ideal Migration. However, after Sony BMG provided the program's key, a tech support person at PointDev discovered that it was pirated.
Obviously, what Sony BMG now needs more than ever is sympathy in these trying times. Both pro- and anti-file-sharing advocates need to set their differences aside and help support Sony BMG. It's not fun to be accused of pirating software, and it's even worse to have to pay penalties for it -- even if the company paying the fine is seeking to increase that fine for music file-sharers. Fucking assholes.
Death Cab Add More Tour Dates, Cutie Has Abortion
By Nobodaddy on Apr 2 2008
This just in: someone must have told Pacific Northwestern doily-rockers Death Cab for Cutie that they could, you know, make more money by playing more shows on their upcoming Spring romp through North America (a.k.a. "Death Cab Country") in support of their upcoming Atlantic Records release, Narrow Stairs. Rather savvily, the band decided that making as much money as possible before Ben "Hey Ya'll" Gibbard gets any MORE BEAUTIFUL would be a very good thing -- so, yeah, they are going to go ahead and play all of these dates.
But enough with this "objective reporting" bullshit. What exactly does this mean to YOU, the jilted TMT reader?
Well... plenty, I reckon!
For example, I guess it means that, if you have younger cousins or something, it's now your duty to stick to them like glue and make sure they don't waste their mom and step-dad's money on concert tickets? And who among us doesn't relish an opportunity to be responsible??
Or maybe it means that you and your buddies have a new summertime record to "enjoy ironically"? You do that sometimes, right?
Or it could mean that you've got a whole new Ben Gibbard lyric sheet to crib from when you're trying to seal the deal with that uptight girl/guy from work.
See, Death Cab might even get you laid! Now aren't you glad you didn't scroll past this shit?
Right. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to devote the rest of my morning to formating this now-sizable list of tourdates for this shell of a band. Have a super day, everyone!
For Our Older Readers: Parlophone’s Best-Of Radiohead Release to Be Release in June
By Mango Starr on Apr 2 2008
Hi old person! Wow, you actually managed to turn on the computer without your daughter's help. Congratulations! Here, let me enlarge the font for you, so you don't have to squint at the screen:
There... is that better? Alright, oldie but goodie, I've got some exciting Rock Music news for you, boy oh boy. Radiohead's ex-record label, Parlophone, is set to release -- Hey, you want some anti-aging cream? Not now? Okay. -- a best-of compilation for Radiohead. No, this isn't that shitty box set (TMT News); it's much, much worse.
Coming out June 2, Best of Radiohead will come in three, maybe four versions: (1) a single CD version, for those of you who mainly want a solid disc to nestle away with your Sheryl Crow and Dave Matthews CDs; (2) a double CD version, for those of you who want that one Romeo & Juliet song; (3) a limited-edition 4LP version, for those of you who collect antiques and quilts; and (4) a non-CD, non-vinyl, non-MP3 version -- it's just a version that you can't hold or hear because you refuse to buy this piece of shit release because Parlophone have no shame. You'd be better off purchasing a stick with which to shoo away bratty kids.
Hey, your dentures fell out. Viagra, white hair, arched back, rocking chair, etc. God, you're old.
Best of Radiohead tracklisting (CD version):
Tayna Anderson to RIAA: Eat My Poop; Landmark Case In The Works, Landmark Outcome Still Up in the Air
By munroe on Apr 1 2008
Tayna Anderson was just one out of thousands of people targeted by the RIAA for alleged copyright infringement between 2002 and the present. The RIAA contracted the services of MediaSentry, a computer investigative company, to peer into Ms. Anderson's personal hard drive and identify any music that fell under the RIAA umbrella. After MediaSentry allegedly discovered infringing files, the RIAA filed a boilerplate lawsuit that claimed thousands of dollars in lost revenue and made threatening demands about how the non-profit entity would recover it. Anderson promptly replied "fuck you" and filed a counterclaim that included a Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) charge. In response, the RIAA tried to depose Anderson's then 7-year-old daughter, effectively asking to interrogate and threaten a little girl.
The RIAA was denied its opportunity to bully a child and eventually dropped its case against Tanya. But it was unable to convince the judge not to award Ms. Anderson her legal fees. The RIAA took a little while to hand over the cash and the presiding judge had to remind the monopoly representative organization of its obligation of the cash-money payout. Anderson's counterclaim suit was then upgraded to a class-action, but the judge rejected the claim, requesting more information within 30 days. The judge spent nearly an hour and a half detailing what she wanted to see in the claim, and Anderson's crack legal time complied.
And that brings us to today, as the RIAA now says the amended claim is "too long and complex for our tiny brains." Paraphrasing slightly for humor's sake, of course, the RIAA has requested that the judge reject the new claim outright or give them more time to respond because "we had to call our brother who's an actual lawyer, because we can't understand all this legal gobbledygook." The RIAA had spent the better part of two years prosecuting Ms. Anderson but is unable to sit down for an hour and read the "massive" 108-page document detailing in full the background, case itself, and counterclaims with supporting information. Anderson is claiming such awesomeness as Negligence, Intentional Infliction of Emotional Distress, Racketeering, Conspiracy, Abuse of the Legal Process, Defamation, Unlawful Trade Practices, Fraud, Invasion of Privacy, Computer Fraud, and the best of the bunch: Injunction Relief.
That last one, "Injunction Relief," means that if the judge approves this draft and the case moves forward and is successfully argued, the RIAA will be barred from continuing to litigate any private citizen of the Unites States. How freakin' awesome is that? Ms. Anderson and her team of lawyers deserve a high five for that one. Effectively saying "eat our shit" to a monopoly, and if the judge is cool with it, they'll be legally forced to. Boo yeah.
