Would online storage sites (livedrive, adrive, humyo, JungleDisk) monitor uploaded content and delete illegal or pornographic files? Which site is most stable and likely to last long term? [more inside]
posted by Nickel on Feb 19, 2009 - 6 answers

There is talk about how ISP's are going to be cooperating with the RIAA to curtail piracy (warning letters, shutting off service, etc.), in lieu of the RIAA taking people to court. If ISP's refused to be involved without a court order previously, why are they getting so involved now? [more inside]
posted by SpacemanStix on Jan 29, 2009 - 9 answers

What is the difference (legal or otherwise) between "decoding" and "decrypting?" [more inside]
posted by explosion on Sep 30, 2008 - 13 answers

What portion of major record label gross income goes to pay artists and how much does the average American spend on music each year? A few years ago I heard that (1) the major record companies paid 4% of their income to the musicians, and that (2) the average American spent $20 a year on music. I've tried and failed to find these figures again. The first seems especially difficult to find (or maybe I'm just being dumb). There is plenty of information about what the average contract gives to the artist, but I'm not interested in that -- I'm looking for aggregated figures. Help? [more inside]
posted by johnsu01 on Jul 9, 2008 - 9 answers

If I run an open wireless access point using DHCP, is there a way for anyone to identify which PC or device in the IP range is receiving or sending traffic? If I run a shared connection and someone does something unlawful, is it my problem or theirs? [more inside]
posted by uaudio on Jul 2, 2008 - 18 answers

So which P2P networks garner the most RIAA lawsuits? The lawsuits are, of course, a sort of cloak and dagger affair, but isn't there some data on this kind of thing? [more inside]
posted by tmcw on Jun 20, 2008 - 5 answers

How'd the RIAA become so powerful, yet so villified? Does anyone (I may have heard of) have anything *good* to say about the RIAA? [more inside]
posted by derekb on Apr 10, 2008 - 8 answers

I'm looking for a complete or brief history of downloading. [more inside]
posted by Wanderlust88 on Feb 15, 2008 - 13 answers

It appears my sister is being sued by the RIAA. [more inside]
posted by anonymous on Jan 11, 2008 - 32 answers

Has anyone ever been sued for downloading music? [more inside]
posted by squarehead on Dec 31, 2007 - 25 answers

Help me figure out a good way to word my speech statement [more inside]
posted by zacharyseibert on Oct 18, 2007 - 14 answers

Downloading/Sharing vs. buying used CD’s…What’s the difference? [more inside]
posted by doorsfan on Oct 9, 2007 - 8 answers

My friend and I have amassed a large collection of live dj sets (e.g., think sven vath live from Ibiza). We were thinking of making this collection available to the public through a website where the sets could be downloaded free of charge. How wary of the RIAA should we be? [more inside]
posted by milarepa on May 22, 2007 - 9 answers

Help me make sure that my money gets to Handsome Dick Manitoba: downloading vs buying music, and how to find out if an artist actually gets money from their own album sales? [more inside]
posted by intermod on May 22, 2007 - 32 answers

Is there a place to get the RIAA lawsuit summaries in plain english? [more inside]
posted by BlackRose on May 10, 2007 - 2 answers

Is using allofmp3 any more or less legal than downloading from an open server that lives somewhere under explicit RIAA coverage? What about an open server in Russia?
posted by mzurer on Jan 17, 2007 - 19 answers

Has anyone written about what a world without (or with very limited) intellectual property rights would be like? Alternatively, are there other models for encouraging creativity without IP rights? [more inside]
posted by vizsla on Jan 2, 2007 - 21 answers

So I'd like to start a site where people can submit/dl alternative album art for music. More inside? Yes, please. [more inside]
posted by unixrat on Sep 27, 2006 - 9 answers

I own a copy of Tres Hombres by ZZ Top. I'd like to get it into mp3 format so that I can listen to it in the car, etc. The problem is that the copy I own is on a record. Assuming I download with bittorrent, and then the RIAA comes after me, can I use the defense that I actually already owned it, so downloading could not be considered criminal? Would it be different if I owned a record rather than a CD? In other words, can you legally download the mp3 of an album you already own?
posted by joecacti on Aug 14, 2006 - 16 answers

Can ASCAP/BMI sue you or levy fees for original music not in their catalog? [more inside]
posted by loquacious on Jul 12, 2006 - 7 answers

What are the most frank, telling criticisms of issues like RIAA/DRM/Music Industry that you've read before? [more inside]
posted by Lockeownzj00 on Apr 3, 2006 - 13 answers

Is this music download site legit? [more inside]
posted by a_day_late on Feb 14, 2006 - 17 answers

Has anyone tried to fight the RIAA and Movie Studios by arguing that copyrights can be interpreted laterally instead of just horizontally? [more inside]
posted by trinarian on Apr 17, 2005 - 19 answers

(RIAA-filter) Concerning downloading copyrighted material, is the act of downloading illegal, or just possesion? If you download a song and delete it, are you stil culpable? Of what offense? And is intent a factor?
posted by Edible Energy on Feb 12, 2005 - 18 answers

I know that the RIAA has sued users of certain P2P networks like Kazaa, with mixed results. I'd like to know if there are any other examples of companies or agencies suing individuals for alleged copyright infringement...(like maybe the MPAA going after people on BitTorrent or something.) [more inside]
posted by thewittyname on Oct 31, 2004 - 4 answers

I've been thinking about the music industry lawsuits. They're based on the IP addresses of the 'uploaders', correct me if I'm wrong. If I live in a shared flat, and we share broadband via a router - how can anyone tell which PC is the evil lawbreaker? [more inside]
posted by ascullion on Oct 8, 2004 - 20 answers