RIAA Finds a New Way to Alienate its Customers

THURSDAY JUNE 15 2006 10:00 AM

Submitted by WilWheaton. Edited By Rahodeb.

TAGS: RIAA, YouTube

Someone at the RIAA must have realized there were still a few music consumers it hadn't sued yet, so the organization is going after kids who post videos of themselves dancing on YouTube.

The RIAA is apparently sending out cease-and-desist letters to YouTube users who dare to put up videos of things such as themselves dancing to music they haven't licensed. It's difficult to see how the RIAA can make a credible claim of "losses" in this case. Clearly, some kids videotaping themselves bopping along to some song aren't going to pay a license fee -- and these sorts of viral videos tend to help build up more interest in artists. So what good does it do to go after these videos?

Kids who don't understand that the RIAA is a C&D-happy organization are just going to freak out at the artist they were dancing to, and those kids will tell their friends, "Hey, Outkast sued me because I shook my tail feathers and put it on YouTube! Fuck Outkast!"

By making kids -- who are just getting up and dancing to the music they love -- feel like criminals, the RIAA creates an entire generation of embittered consumers who will be inclined to steal music, simply as an act of rebellion. This can only hurt the artists the RIAA supposedly exists to protect.

This type of legal action may be smart, according to lawyers, but the publicity departments at all the major labels should be on the phones, screaming at the RIAA for this outrageous move.

49 Comments

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BatAttaK

Seattle, WA

OLD SKOOL

JUN 23, 2006 10:34 PM

Wolfmaen said:
We need Theodore Roosevelt back. That man had a big stick which he used not only on the Cubans but on Big Business as well. Debate the meaning of that amongst yourselves.

The RIAA is not a monopoly. It is not even a company. As big as the Tedster's stick was (I'll have to take your word for it there Wolf dude) Theodore Roosevelt would not be able to do shit. The RIAA is a trade organization whose sole reason for existence is to protect the interests of its member record labels.

If you want to bring about the quick end to the RIAA it is simple. Quit buying music from these record labels. Email or write to these label and tell them why you are not going to support them any longer and then do not buy a single CD, MP3, or listen to the radio ever again unless it is associated with an independent record label that is not a member of the RIAA. If you have any questions whether a particular band, label, or album is RIAA friendly then check over here.

You have the hit list. You have the motivation. You know what to do.

Now DO IT!

zoton

Kuwait

November 2005

JUN 24, 2006 05:02 PM

Damn... they're almost as bad as the bush administration......

otaku

I'm lost

January 2004

JUN 24, 2006 11:22 PM

bairdduvessa said:
on what grounds can they sue? There is no profit in any of it for the kids doing it, therefore no money is being made...

I don't know how many of you remember but back in the 90's they sued the boyscouts and girl scouts of america for singing songs at camp outs because the children did not pay to sing the songs...

the next group they go after will probably be people who sing in their cars

I remember an article in Sound Choice ages ago about the RIAA trying to go after companies that played music (radio, etc.) in their workplaces as well.
In any case I'm sure that the artists are seeing a sizable chunk of the money that the RIAA makes in these lawsuits [/sarcasm]