RIAA Decides to Take Away Your Internet Instead of Your Money

Realizing that the years of suing people for pirating music online have basically done nothing but waste time and money, the lovely RIAA has decided to punish you another way–but cutting off your internet.

According to a piece published by the Wall Street Journal, the move from individuals to ISPs seems like the next logical step for the RIAA since the “I’ll sue your ass off” tactics are not working (I add the last bit in there):

The [RIAA] said it plans to try an approach that relies on the cooperation of Internet-service providers. The trade group said it has hashed out preliminary agreements with major ISPs under which it will send an email to the provider when it finds a provider’s customers making music available online for others to take.

Depending on the agreement, the ISP will either forward the note to customers, or alert customers that they appear to be uploading music illegally, and ask them to stop. If the customers continue the file-sharing, they will get one or two more emails, perhaps accompanied by slower service from the provider. Finally, the ISP may cut off their access altogether.

In the piece, it states that the RIAA has filed approximately 35,000 lawsuits against people since 2002, and instead of dropping the lawsuits and going with their new tactics, they are continuing to seek monetary damages from the individuals currently in litigation. So, newbies will get their internet cut off, ones already in trouble will still get sued. Yeah, like I can see AT&T/Bellsouth or Verizon or any cable company cutting the cord until absolutely forced to. The RIAA is a trade group, and even though they have the government on their side, it is just boggling to think that they could actually be allowed to do something like this.

Point is, don’t steal. We have all done it online one time or another be it music, games, movies… just don’t do it anymore. The days of copying any of the above on CD, VHS or cassette are long gone in the technology age and where as you would not get caught–eventually you will now. It is better to save yourself the headache and just not do it. Don’t get me wrong, the RIAA reminds me of the gestapo and I do not support them, but I don’t think we should steal either.

(Thanks: GamePolitics) (Image: Inforwars)