# Landmark Case For RIAA

**URL:** <https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944>\
**Category:** NYSpeed Off Topic\
**Created:** [August 27, 2008, 10:13am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944 "2008-08-27T10:13:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 20\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![boxxa](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/boxxa/32/5045_2.png) [@boxxa](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boxxa)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 10:13am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944/1 "2008-08-27T10:13:45Z")

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> **[RIAA wins P2P case after defendant reformats hard drive](https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2008/08/riaa-wins-p2p-case-after-defendant-reformats-hard-drive/)**
>
> A few months after rejecting the RIAA's argument that making a file available …

Some key points to the case was that the defendant decided to defend himself becuase he, like many people who have been sued are under limited income and was unable to find a lawyer who would take the case with risk of not getting paid.

Also, the judge ruled that simply making a file accessible is not infringement unless you show proof that the file was distributed in some way or another.

Lastly, messing with evidence (ie. mucking your hard drive) fell into the result of guilty.

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**Author:** ![Willybeen](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/willybeen/32/7351_2.png) [@Willybeen](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Willybeen)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 10:16am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944/2 "2008-08-27T10:16:50Z")

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shittty.

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**Author:** ![ILCisDEAD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a87d85/32.png) [@ILCisDEAD](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ILCisDEAD)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 10:18am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944/3 "2008-08-27T10:18:06Z")

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☹

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**Author:** ![BuickGN](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/buickgn/32/7200_2.png) [@BuickGN](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BuickGN)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 10:18am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944/4 "2008-08-27T10:18:43Z")

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he was doing fine until the moron decided to format.

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**Author:** ![ILCisDEAD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a87d85/32.png) [@ILCisDEAD](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ILCisDEAD)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 10:20am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944/5 "2008-08-27T10:20:53Z")

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> [@BuickGN](#):
>
> he was doing fine until the moron decided to format.

That makes sense I don’t mind that as being an admittance of guilt, but the other part.

The file being accessible, but no proof of distribution. Thats fucked up

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**Author:** ![Geehee](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/geehee/32/7238_2.png) [@Geehee](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Geehee)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 10:21am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944/6 "2008-08-27T10:21:52Z")

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> [@ILCisDEAD](#):
>
> That makes sense I don’t mind that as being an admittance of guilt, but the other part.
> 
> The file being accessible, but no proof of distribution. Thats fucked up

Intent? maybe?

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**Author:** ![ILCisDEAD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/a87d85/32.png) [@ILCisDEAD](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/ILCisDEAD)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 10:22am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944/7 "2008-08-27T10:22:53Z")

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I didn’t read through the article, So i pretty loosely interpretted it. But yea… I guess intent makes sense depending on where its accessible

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**Author:** ![LZ1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@LZ1](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/LZ1)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 10:26am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944/8 "2008-08-27T10:26:47Z")

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> [@BuickGN](#):
>
> he was doing fine until the moron decided to format.

For most people that would be immediate reaction to receiving some threatening letter.

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**Author:** ![BuickGN](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/buickgn/32/7200_2.png) [@BuickGN](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BuickGN)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 10:27am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944/9 "2008-08-27T10:27:57Z")

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i got a letter from dish back in the day, threatening me for burning cards lol

right in the trash.

useless letters

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**Author:** ![A.J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@A.J](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/A.J)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 10:28am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944/10 "2008-08-27T10:28:31Z")

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I really hope the RIAA starts losing some cases by violating invasion of privacy laws. Happened in the UK when I was there last fall

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**Author:** ![BuickGN](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/buickgn/32/7200_2.png) [@BuickGN](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/BuickGN)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 10:29am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944/11 "2008-08-27T10:29:06Z")

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they are losing ALOT actually, they are spending more money paying out lawsuits lol

fucking retards

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**Author:** ![A.J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@A.J](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/A.J)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 10:30am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944/12 "2008-08-27T10:30:52Z")

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ya I had a roomate when I lived in the dorms my freshman year get sued by the RIAA and he was quite a computer nerd. He did some tracing and found they had actually went around his firewalls and into his HD to scan. He sent them all of this information that he presented to his lawyer and they quickly dropped the lawsuit

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**Author:** ![boxxa](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/boxxa/32/5045_2.png) [@boxxa](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boxxa)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 10:31am UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944/13 "2008-08-27T10:31:01Z")

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Kinda a similar situation to the To Catch A Predator show.

The people show up with intentions but never actually do anything wrong but get charged with a Felony.

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**Author:** ![boxxa](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/boxxa/32/5045_2.png) [@boxxa](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boxxa)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 1:15pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944/14 "2008-08-27T13:15:55Z")

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even worse news. RIAA/MPAA is pushing for a copyright official in the government party.

> **[RIAA, MPAA Converging on Political Conventions](https://www.wired.com/2008/08/riaa-mpaa-conve/)**
>
> When the Recording Industry Association of America and the Motion Picture Association of America aren’t suing individuals and websites for copyright infringement, they’re lobbying. The two groups are making the rounds in Denver at the Democratic...

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**Author:** ![Dr.Stevil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dr.Stevil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Dr.Stevil)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 1:22pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944/15 "2008-08-27T13:22:01Z")

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eh, the RIAA/MPAA can suck my balls. While file sharing might be a problem with their old business model, now is a PERFECT time to re-evaluate how they do things and take advantage of it (shit, the technology is already there for them to use).

For instance, why not setup their own PRIVATE trackers/websites hosting the torrents and advertise on it? TPB is doing pretty damned well for them selfs these days from doing just that. (or start selling music that’s worth paying for)

either make it a free service paid for by advertising or make it a subscription service.

but then they’d be out of a job :rolleyes:

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**Author:** ![FightinMike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/7bcc69/32.png) [@FightinMike](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/FightinMike)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 1:28pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944/16 "2008-08-27T13:28:16Z")

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> [@boxxa"](#):
>
> [RIAA wins P2P case after defendant reformats hard drive | Ars Technica](http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080826-riaa-wins-p2p-case-after-defendant-reformats-hard-drive.html)
> 
> Also, the judge ruled that simply making a file accessible is infringement even with no proof that the file has been distributed.

No he didnt, This entire ruling is based on the defendants bad faith destruction of evidence.

Howell won a ruling that making available is NOT infringement, then the RIAA went after the evidence destruction.

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**Author:** ![boxxa](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex034/user_avatar/forums.speedlife.net/boxxa/32/5045_2.png) [@boxxa](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/boxxa)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 1:54pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944/17 "2008-08-27T13:54:22Z")

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> [@FightinMike](#):
>
> No he didnt, This entire ruling is based on the defendants bad faith destruction of evidence.
> 
> Howell won a ruling that making available is NOT infringement, then the RIAA went after the evidence destruction.

Oops. Misspoke on my attempt to summarize from anyone.

You are correct. Simply sharing a file is legal but someone downloading it makes it illegal.

The defendant was screwed becuase he wiped his hard drive.

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**Author:** ![Dr.Stevil](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/da6949/32.png) [@Dr.Stevil](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Dr.Stevil)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 2:00pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944/18 "2008-08-27T14:00:18Z")

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damn, well that’s a pretty knee jerk reaction though.

What would you do if one of those letters showed up in your mailbox?

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**Author:** ![A.J](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/858c86/32.png) [@A.J](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/A.J)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 2:07pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944/19 "2008-08-27T14:07:50Z")

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the same exact thing and find a firm to represent me

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**Author:** ![Karter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e480ec/32.png) [@Karter](https://forums.speedlife.net/u/Karter)\
**Post date:** [August 27, 2008, 2:15pm UTC](https://forums.speedlife.net/t/landmark-case-for-riaa/53944/20 "2008-08-27T14:15:14Z")

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shouldnt have left the files in his shared folder.

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