RIAA sues 493 more P2P users

Yet more music downloaders have fallen foul of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

Yesterday the entertainment industry trade body launched another round of lawsuits against alleged users of peer-to-peer (P2P) sites.

The latest legal action, against 493 people that the RIAA claims to have identified as sharing copyright music over the internet, brings the total to nearly 3,000.

This time the RIAA said it is not pursuing university or college users, but subscribers with commercial internet accounts from companies in 17 US states.

The lawsuits are again 'John Doe' actions because the US courts will not allow the RIAA access to individuals' information without permission to subpoena internet service providers (ISPs).

This means the lawsuits can only identify individuals by their IP addresses. RIAA lawyers will now work through the courts to request subpoenas to get ISPs to reveal the names.

"Our continuing objective is to send a message of deterrence, protect the rights of property owners, and foster an environment where the legitimate marketplace, both online and at retail, can flourish," said Cary Sherman, president of the RIAA, in a statement.

So far 486 people have agreed to settle out of court and pay fines to the RIAA of between $2,000 and $3,000.

Sherman said he wanted to settle matters "expeditiously", and added: "We will continue to go the extra mile and seek to resolve these cases in a fair and reasonable manner. That's in the best interests of everyone involved."

Recent market research has shown that the RIAA's actions may be bearing fruit. Data from the Pew Internet and American Life Project shows an overall decline in the downloading of copyrighted material from P2P sites.

And a survey by The NPD Group last week found that the number of people using legal online services to purchase music tripled in the first quarter of 2004, compared to the same time period in 2003.

"Among music buyers who purchased both physical CDs and a song download from a legal service, the likelihood that they also downloaded a song illegally fell dramatically, from 64 per cent last year to 42 per cent in 2004," said a statement from The NPD Group.

See also:

Senate backs piracy plan to sink file sharers

Art Act and Pirate Act provide sweeping new powers to imprison offenders  28 Jun 2004

RIAA files another 482 lawsuits

Trade body welcomes new copyright infringement legislation as it issues more subpoenas  23 Jun 2004

BPI sits on sidelines as P2P lawsuits fly

UK industry body admits to no immediate plans for legal action  09 Jun 2004

Legal downloads pass 500,000 mark

BPI celebrates 'breakthrough' for music industry as P2P sites lose their appeal  04 Jun 2004

Kids know downloading music is illegal

But it doesn't stop most of them  19 May 2004

P2P takes the rap as music sales slump

Fourth consecutive annual drop blamed squarely on illegal file sharing  08 Apr 2004

Businesses told to beware P2P

Resellers must act as advisors to end-users on P2P threat, says survey  05 Apr 2004

Bugwatch: The perils of peer-to-peer

The many dangers lurking in P2P software could affect every internet-connected business  31 Mar 2004

RIAA vs P2P

The US trade body is now bringing the full weight of the law to bear on individuals who dare to download a track or two from the web. But the users are fighting back ...  01 Aug 2003

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