RIAA: Net Neutrality Limits ISP’s Ability to Screw Consumers Over on Our Behalf
RIAA: Net Neutrality Limits ISP’s Ability to Screw Consumers Over on Our Behalf
Posted 01/15/2010 at 1:36pm
| by Bart Salisbury
16
Comments
Print
The RIAA, which represents the recording industry, was born out of frustration and anger over the loss of control of content. It’s not, to put it simply, a happy camper, and probably never will. Anything and everything the RIAA perceives as bad for the recording industry is something else for the RIAA to rail against, no matter how good that something might be for the rest of us. The RIAA is now on the warpath against net neutrality. It seems that net neutrality limits the ability of ISPs to act as its brownshirts in the RIAA's war against file sharing. So net neutrality, according to the RIAA, has gotta go.
In a filing with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the RIAA is arguing that the adoption of strict net neutrality rules will limit the ability of ISPs to flexibly address illegal online file sharing. According to the RIAA, “ISPs are in a unique position to limit online theft. They control the facilities over which infringement takes place and are singularly positioned to address it at the source. Without ISP participation, it is extremely difficult to develop an effective prevention approach.”
It seems the RIAA has given up trying to sue the pants of everybody who shares files and wants ISPs to now do their dirty work. But net neutrality makes this impossible. ISPs would be limited in blocking illegal file sharing, which the RIAA wants ISPs to be actively encouraged to do.
Some large ISPs are not too keen on becoming the lapdog of the RIAA. They’ve already rejected the RIAA’s request to disconnect subscribers after three copyright violations. Rather than pander after the ISPs, the RIAA is looking to have the FCC compel the ISPs to fall into line, and police their networks for illegal file sharing.
There are others, such as Public Knowledge, the Consumer Electronics Association, and the Electric Frontier Foundation, who are opposed to the RIAA’s position. They say the FCC should keep its nose out of copyright enforcement, and so too should ISPs. Snooping or limiting service interferes with legitimate, and legal, network activity. According to them ISPs are "poorly placed to determine whether or not transfers of content are infringing or otherwise unlawful, a task generally reserved to attorneys, courts, and law enforcement.” In other words, let the RIAA do its own dirty work.
Image Credit: RIAA
More like this
cat0w
January 17, 2010 at 6:42am
I would love to be reimbursed for all the old eight tracks I have that no longer play. I payed for the music.
The same goes for my old reel to reel music. My reel to reel player broke and just like eight tracks they no longer make reel to reels. Give me my music back or money for it.
I don't hear the RIAA saying, hey we will let you download all that music you lost for free because you already paid for it once. No, if we want it we have to go out and buy it again.
Looksback
January 15, 2010 at 6:47pm
That has more contempt for its customers than the RIAA. The gravy train is coming to a stop and they are the ones who turned off the steam.
Many years ago, an album was relatively cheap. Even the poorest of us could afford to buy an album or two every payday and build up a collection of music that was worth repeated listening. We looked forward to new releases because the music was innovative and made us feel good. We heard new music on the radio back in the days when DJs actually chose what music to play on their shifts.
Sigh!
Vegan
January 15, 2010 at 5:07pm
This is the classic argument of, "Why do they make cars that can go faster than the speed limit?"
nekollx
January 15, 2010 at 5:12pm
sorry i don't see the comparion, elaborate?
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Xmodgeek
January 15, 2010 at 11:32pm
My guess is if your not to exceed a certain speed why even make cars that can go faster and allow an illegal activity.
So since it's illegal to pirate why should ISPs have a network that allows it?
Sure
you could have local radio beacons broadcasting the maximum allowable
speed on a given road or use GPS to some how work it out... So I
suppose the car metaphor would be possible.
mdkplus
January 16, 2010 at 8:17am
Interesting you should mention that. They have tried speed governers on trucks, some companys still use them. Back in the late 70's, early 80's they made manufacturers in US limit the speedometers maximum speed to 85 on American made cars, thinking that would slow people down. As a work-around the manufacturers just started buying their speedometers from Europe and Japan with no such limit and it was legal.
I think the music industry is getting desperate to slow downloading and we will probably see all kinds of weird shenanigans from the RIAA until they finally just give up, which will probably not happen soon.
Danthrax66
January 15, 2010 at 2:30pm
The RIAA should get it's nose out of traffic going through my ISP, and while they are at it they can go f ck themselves. But anyway just download utorrent and go to preferences then bittorrent and set outgoing to forced encryption then download peer blocker and that should block a majority of RIAA gov't and anyone else who wants to watch your packets and report you for torrenting. Just make sure that every once in a while you download an Ubuntu torrent to throw them off. By the way my music collection is over 80gb and I might have purchased 20 cds in my life hahaha.
Adeptus_Mechanis
January 15, 2010 at 4:32pm
You know, it is comments like this one that cause more harm than good. "By the way my music collection is over 80gb and I might have purchased 20 cds in my life hahaha." This is the kind of juvenile act that The Pirate Bay displayed during their court hearings and probably attributed a good amount to the overall decision to find them guilty.
Now I dislike the RIAA and their heavy-handed tactics as much as anyone, and I most certainly do support the FCC and their push for Net Neutrality, but there is a right way and a wrong way to debate the issue. And you have just displayed the wrong way to go about doing it. All this post shows is your lack of tact and maturity, try commenting again when you can actually contribute something worthwhile to this article.
Danthrax66
January 15, 2010 at 7:49pm
No I'll comment when I want with as much tact as I feel like, because I live in AMERICA and I can. And I feel this is an invasion of privacy if the RIAA is allowed to monitor packets that is a violation of my rights they may be able to get away with that shit in other countries but if they think I'm going to take it up the ass like everyone else they can fck off. I think that no one should buy any music and just torrent it all and see if that sends them a message, 90% of what I have I don't listen to nor will I ever listen to it I just dl it to dl it, bands that I really like and support I buy cd's from them. And probably 50 or so gigs is from sharing with people I know personally, which is also illegal but meh. I don't see a reason to hide how much I download I enjoy taunting the RIAA and how inferior they are. So yeah if the RIAA didn't exist I would buy more music as long as they exist I torrent.
mdkplus
January 16, 2010 at 8:03am
You say, "So yeah if the RIAA didn't exist I would buy more music as long as they exist I torrent."
Do you also say, "If the cops didn't exist I wouldn't speed"
Your so full of b.s. All you are proving is how much you enjoy stealing, and bragging about it.
It's because of hacker mentalitys like yours that we have the RIAA, and rightly so. I may not approve of their methods, but I don't like radar either. The only thing that will keep them from infringing on our rights is if jackasses like you were to stop stealing from them!
Adeptus_Mechanis
January 15, 2010 at 10:36pm
"No I'll comment when I want with as much tact as I feel like, because I live in AMERICA and I can." - Being American does give you the right to state your opinion, however it is my opinion that you are immature and tactless. "Because I live in AMERICA and I can" doesn't make you any less of an idiot for being a blatant music pirate and, guess what, pirating music is illegal and immoral in America whether you get caught by the RIAA or not.
"I think that no one should buy any music and just torrent it all and see if that sends them a message" - And what message would that be? We can steal your music, so we're gonna? You're merely proving the RIAA's P.O.V.
"I don't see a reason to hide how much I download I enjoy taunting the RIAA and how inferior they are." - If you think 80 gbs of downloaded music is taunting the RIAA you have even less common sense than I originally attrributed to you. Congratulations on proving the RIAA's stereotype of a music pirate. You're just making things worse and harder for the rest of us who try to legitimately torrent and download music/programs/etc. All you're proving is that; Online pirates are contemptuous little pricks who download whatever they want irregardless of the consquences and shun all forms of authority.
Well done sir. Well done.
Danthrax66
January 16, 2010 at 3:00pm
Yeah I feel like I accomplished something. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go dl some more music.
snapple00
January 16, 2010 at 9:23pm
Lol. You are the reason they are monitoring your packets.
And now you complain about it. How dumb can you get?! Haha.
nekollx
January 15, 2010 at 1:54pm
Damn those ISP for having morals! DAMN THEM TO |-|[-|_|_
------------------------------
Coming soon to Lulu.com --Tokusatsu Heroes--
Five teenagers, one alien ghost, a robot, and the fate of the world.
Connect with MaximumPC
Featured Content
We introduce Intel's latest class of tablet killers and review 4 of the first Ultra...
Where have all the memorable videogame enemies gone?
This month's issue
Feature
11 Hardware Hacks
Feature
Overclock Your CPU
How-To
Supercharge Your Smartphone
Build It
A Powerful $830 Rig
Most Commented Articles
Latest Max PC Tweets
- maximumpc: Analysts: 9-Inch Kindle Fire This Summer http://t.co/QDYApwCZ1 day 1 hour ago
- maximumpc: Micron: DRAM Prices Likely as Low as They're Going to Get http://t.co/fFUWuFOm1 day 4 hours ago
- maximumpc: Yar, Mateys! All Of Pirate Bay Made Available As A Single 90MB Zip File http://t.co/j5LHlXEZ1 day 5 hours ago
