As an Internet lawyer, I regularly hear music piracy horror stories about RIAA suing alleged music pirates who don’t own computers, elderly grandparents, etc. The presumption is that you’re guilty of music piracy until you prove you’re innocent. Since this is difficult to do, RIAA counts on you to settle the cases instead of enduring the wrath of their legal team. Few can afford to pay lawyers to fight the “entertainment” industry when false accusations of piracy are made in a lawsuit.
However, there is a cheap solution that doesn’t involve retaining an Internet lawyer. Just get a recording industry executive to adopt you and feel free to download Britney Spears’ songs and other mp3s to your heart’s content.
Edgar Bronfman, the head of Warner Music Group (WMG), freely admits that his kids have illegally downloaded music, i.e. music piracy. Their punishment? “I think I’ll keep that within the family,” said Bronfman.
Within the family? What? No lawsuit?
So the next time you hear RIAA and the music studios moan and whine about the end of civilization as we know it because of music piracy, just remember Bronfman and others like him. You can be sure that they’ve created their own family exception to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA).
I’m not condoning music piracy as an Internet lawyer. But either the anti-piracy laws apply to everyone or they should go away. Don’t hold your breath waiting for the RIAA v. Bronfman lawsuit. Hypocrites.
Hat tip to Reuters.
