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RIAA Targets Usenet
Sues Usenet.com
Usenet has obviously long been a fantastic communication resource for users, though many ISPs have stopped offering it as an added service. Of course, it has also traditionally been the last refuge of pirates after American p2p companies get sued into oblivion. While the RIAA has long left Usenet alone, they've now filed suit against Usenet.com in what appears to be the first salvo in a new legal effort:
quote:
The RIAA sued Usenet.com, which is based in Fargo, N.D., in the southern district of New York. The lawsuit claims Usenet.com encourages its customers to pay up to $19 a month by enticing them with copyrighted music, and asks for a permanent injunction barring the company from "aiding, encouraging, enabling, inducing, causing, materially contributing to, or otherwise facilitating" copyright infringement.
Apparently, the RIAA targeted Usenet.com because they advertise accounts by stating their service "gives you access to millions of MP3 files and also enables you to post your own files the same way and share them with the whole world." Once the RIAA wins that suit, they're likely to use the decision to help win suits against additional Usenet providers like AT&T or universities.

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tlniec
join:2004-08-02
Cedar Rapids, IA

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tlniec

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I don't see where "gives you access to millions of MP3 files and also enables you to post your own files the same way and share them with the whole world" says anything about pirating copyrighted material.
What of those users who generate their own recordings of original songs, and wish to share them via usenet? And those who wish to have access to such content?
I guess I never realized the MP3 file format was solely the domain of music recorded by those affiliated with the RIAA.