Mac Forum / Country Specific / Australian Mac Group / August 2004

It's about time
If the Aust Music Industry got off there a.s and let the iTunes Music
Store happen here in Australia I wouldn't have to download crappy mp3s
off Limewire. I would pay for AAC files but no way would I pay for
mp3s off "pay music sites". At the end of the day the mp3s that I
download off Limewire I usually end up buying the CD as I want to
listen to quality recording. I know alot of people that feel the same
way.

Release iTunes Music Store DAMMIT!

Music industry sues more pirates
August 26, 2004
THE US music industry announced lawsuits against another 744 suspected
internet pirates using peer-to-peer services including eDonkey,
Limewire, Grokster and Kazaa.

The announcement marked the last wave of legal action by the Recording
Industry Association of America, which over the past year has been
targeting individual users because it has been unable to shut down
peer-to-peer swapping services.
Of the latest round of lawsuits, 152 were filed against named
defendants who were identified through prior actions and then declined
or ignored an effort to settle the case.

The others were so-called "John Doe" lawsuits that use the internet
protocol (IP) address rather than names of individuals.
"Just as enforcement strategies for street piracy adapt with changing
circumstances, the same goes for combating piracy online," said RIAA
president Cary Sherman.

"We are adjusting and expanding our efforts to target illegal file
sharing on additional platforms like eDonkey and others. There will
always be a degree of piracy, both on the street and online. But
without a strong measure of deterrence, piracy will overwhelm and
choke the creation and distribution of music."

The industry blames online piracy and file-swapping for billions of
dollars in lost sales, and is encouraging internet users to switch to
legal sites that require payment for downloading of songs.
"The 'legal alternatives' continue to gain new traction and expand
into new marketplaces," RIAA said in a statement.

Agence France-Presse