File Traders Beware

[efc]

Slashdot.com interview with DOJ point people for Federal criminal actions against online file-traders and software misapproprators.

Link (http://interviews.slashdot.org/interviews/03/07/14/1325229.shtml?tid=123&tid=98&tid=99)

[phishhead]

WASHINGTON -- The music industry has won at least 871 federal subpoenas against computer users suspected of illegally sharing music files on the Internet.

Court officials say roughly 75 new subpoenas are being approved each day.

The effort represents early steps in the music industry's plan to file civil lawsuits aimed at stopping online piracy. Subpoenas reviewed by The Associated Press show that the industry has forced Internet providers and some universities to identify names and mailing addresses for users on their networks.

The Recording Industry Association of America has said it expects to file at least several hundred lawsuits seeking financial damages within the next eight weeks.

U.S. copyright laws allow for damages of up to $150,000 for each song offered illegally on a person's computer.
source: (http://www.thesandiegochannel.com/technology/2346350/detail.html)

[cash_site]

How serious is this threat? I mean how many ppl have been convicted?

Might need to make a computer trap door, so when RIAA come knocking it disappears ;)

[Big Booger]

subpoenas are just to gather evidence. Deny everything.. tell them you don't know what the hell they are talking about, and ask them to prove without a shadow of doubt that indeed it was your physical PC that was doing the downloading or sharing.

ANd then tell them to prove that you don't own the files that you were sharing. Just because you are using Kazaa, and have those files stored as a back up on your HDD, doesn't mean you were doing anything illegal. It is illegal to download it, but is it illegal to have it stored on your PC? I don't think so. Especially if you own the CDs of the music that you have stored on your HDD.
:D