The American Spectator

Reader Mail

(Page 5 of 11)

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Quoting today's article: "In 1999, the big bad wolf (a.k.a., the RIAA) decided to begin suing individuals for copyright infringement on behalf of the record companies. Yes, the RIAA is suing over intellectual property that it does not own. Copyrights belong to the artists or the record companies, not the RIAA."

Is this a joke? Literally hundreds of record labels have explicitly authorized the RIAA to represent them in copyright infringement cases. None, to my knowledge, have told the RIAA not to litigate on their behalf. Most artists, through their record contracts, have authorized their labels to protect their copyrights. This is, in fact, one of the primary reasons for the existence of the RIAA. A simple glance at the RIAA's website confirms this.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is the trade group that represents the U.S. recording industry. Its mission is to foster a business and legal climate that supports and promotes our members' creative and financial vitality. Its members are the record companies that comprise the most vibrant national music industry in the world. RIAA members create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 90% of all legitimate sound recordings produced and sold in the United States.

In support of this mission, the RIAA works to protect intellectual property rights worldwide and the First Amendment rights of artists; conduct consumer industry and technical research; and monitor and review -- state and federal laws, regulations and policies.

To say that the RIAA has no standing to sue because it doesn't hold the copyrights is simply wrong. Attorneys rarely hold copyrights, yet they are still entitled to pursue infringement cases on the plaintiff's behalf and at the plaintiff's request. Musicians may not like the heavy-handed actions of the RIAA, but they signed their recording contracts voluntarily, and there are probably plenty of other provisions they'd like to get rid of before putting their intellectual property in the public domain.

p>Perhaps in the future you could spend an extra 2 minutes actually researching your subject? br> -- Judd Bourgeois br> Las Vegas, Nevada /p>

I read with interest Theodora Blanchfield's article, "Stinging the Fans." Although the issues of the RIAA and online file sharing have been covered almost completely, I thought the last paragraph of her article summarized the relationship exquisitely. If not exactly "another perspective," the article nailed the crux of the property rights issue.

p>Thanks, br> -- Lance

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