Build Date: Tue Sep 23 07:30:16 2025 UTC
There's nothing more dangerous than a wounded animal.
-- Captain Kirk
The Music Never Stops
2003-01-22 18:11:24
Back in July, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) subpoenaed Verizon Internet Services, Inc. to submit the name of an Internet user who, in one day, downloaded more than 600 songs. On Tuesday, January 21, Judge John D. Bates of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia ordered Verizon to comply with the RIAA subpoena. Cary Sherman of the RIAA says the industry group looks forward to contacting the Verizon subscriber, "so we can let them know that what they are doing is illegal."
I commend Sarah B. Deutsch, vice president and associate general counsel for Verizon, for refusing to comply with the subpoena. Under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), copyright holders can subpoena an infringer's information without filing a lawsuit. The ruling will allow anyone who makes a copyright infringement claim to gain access to private subscriber information. Gadzooks! I'm frightened. Hold me. ISPs could face privacy lawsuits from subscribers if the ruling holds up.
On the one hand, I can see how the RIAA wants to protect the livelihood of recording artists. I know some starving musicians, after a recording deal, extended touring and a Big Name Brand television commercial, whose children now have clothing and an educational future. After all, these Rock and Roll families DEPEND on the consumable integrity of their recorded works.
On the other hand, Little Johnny Iowa is not going to topple the entire recording industry by making a few compilation CDs. Technically, yes, it's illegal. It always has been. But crafting a compilation tape here and there has not yet made a negative impact on one single big name recording company. In fact, it's more likely served as free promotion. Maybe you're playing your nifty new compilation CD in the office. Joe Worker walks by and says, "Say. Is that the new Yanni CD? That sounds great! I hear it has a really spiffy set of collectible covers. I'm going to race back to my desk and order the whole set from Amazon, including the imports!" Or, maybe you accidentally leave your cherished, pirated John Tesh compilation CD on the bus. Someone picks it up and listens to it and just HAS to buy ALL of John Tesh's work. See what I'm saying? It's not like we're all going to spend the rest of our lives searching Google for name-brand music to pirate and redistribute on the Black Market. Besides, folks I know who download music don't generally download the entire recording. And if they are so big a fan as to download the entire works of an artist or band, they probably went to all the concerts and bought all the records, CDs, imports and bootleg recordings they could get their hands on. Further, hardcore music fanatics who tend to scour the Internet are looking for one-of-a-kind versions of tunes illegally recorded on someone's shoe tape recorder at a live show. So, what? Is the RIAA going to ask the company who sold the tape recorder for their accounts receivable records, then call up Jack Taper and tell him, "No, no, no. You're breaking the law?" I don't think so.
We all know the RIAA is really afraid that Internet technology will open up the recording market for the improved success of independent recording labels. Which is stupid because capitalism thrives on competitive markets. The RIAA would merely be forced to explore the untapped market of TALENTED individuals, thereby improving their own market longevity.
Meanwhile, since we're going to have a China/US Submarine Cable Network, you'd think that the RIAA would be welcoming the potential for some free, overseas promotion.
T O P S T O R I E S
California Glory Hole attracts huge crowds
A glory hole at Napa's Lake Berryessa is drawing huge crowds. According to Chris Lee, the general manager for the Solano County Water Agency, the glory hole hasn't been active since 2019, and only restarted operations on Feb 4. (More...)
Republican State Senator busted after soliciting a teenage girl
Republican State Senator Justin Eichorn of Minnesota was arrested for soliciting a teen girl on Monday just hours after he introduced a bill proposing "Trump derangement syndrome" (TDS) as a form of mental illness. (More...)
Parents claim measles is not that bad after having only one child die
The parents of a Texas girl who died from the measles are defending their decision not to vaccinate their daughter. "She says they would still say 'Don't do the shots,'" an unidentified translator for the parents said. "They think it’s not as bad as the media is making it out to be." (More...)
Delusional rich man tries to fire town staff
"I'm mayor now" said write-in mayoral candidate and founder of Pirate’s Booty Snacks Robert Ehrlich after losing the election for Mayor of Sea Cliff, NY. Then he tried to take over the Village Hall and fire everyone. (More...)
Musk claims Xitter security is staffed by idiots
Earlier this month Xitter experienced a massive outage. In an interview, Musk told Fox Business that he believes the attack came from "IP addresses originating in the Ukraine area." (More...)
The Future Ain't What It Used To Be
Ideas have taken horrifying shape and rooted into our modern reality. (More...)
C L A S S I C P I G D O G
The Ancient and Correct Sake Ceremony
Many Americans have learned to appreciate the delicate, sophisticated flavors of Japanese food and drink, along with the beautifully refined rituals of Japanese dining. San Francisco, as a gateway between East and West, has especially benefited from the flowering of Eastern consciousness in America. It is hardly possible to walk down the street without stepping on somebody's sushi. (More...)
A Day in the Life of a Beverotologist
It was starting to look like a very boring Saturday, trapped as I was in the suburban wastelands of the outer Bay Area, so I called my Able Assistant (AA) and proposed that we perform some Spocktail field tests. For some time I've been working on creating the quintessential cinematic beverage and even tho' SMRL does most of its testing during nocturnal hours, this seemed an opportune time to roll up the sleeves of our labcoats and get some science done. While the beverotology creation tested this day (The Neurotoxin) must be deemed a success, this article focuses more the journey of the experimenters, rather then the science of beverotology. (More...)
The IBM Selectric Typewriter Changed My Life
I ran my hands lovingly across her frame, lightly brushing her metallic nipples with my fingers, admiring the shapes and the ways of her curves, the empathetic hum she produced as I had my way with her, the way she made it all seem so effortless and right... she didn't even seem to mind the way I roughly manipulated her knobs and tweaked her casing. She was extremely tolerant, for a typewriter. (More...)
The Deep Dark Underbelly of the Star Wars Myth, or Ramayana Remembered
It's a fact: Star Wars is a blatant plagiarism of an ancient Asian legend, and the long lines of devout Star Wars freaks are really unscrupulous Asian copyright busters. From Indonesia to Thailand to Nepal, videos are available for sale or rent before they're even released in the US and UK due to this nerdy camcorder-clutching bunch. (More...)
One of our star reporters was sent to Comdex by his employer. El Destino reports live from the biggest, geekiest trade show in the world. (More...)
High Availability Guinness Stress Test
All too often we forget the incredible depth of technology behind the weekly ritual of TNiPN@*. We tend to only become aware of the strategy of High Available Guinness (HAG) when it rises to the forefront during a complete and utter venue failure. Yet we should all be super grateful that this system exists. (More...)