RUMOR MILL
Tuesday, August 12, 2003
NETCOALITION QUESTIONS RIAA
Wonders About Subpoenas, Tactics and If It Can Get Britney’s Number
The representative group of hundreds of small internet service providers, as well as Yahoo! and DoubleClick has sent a letter to the RIAA, asking what it describes as pointed questions about the RIAA’s recent campaign to find, subpoena and sue file-swappers.
In its six-page letter, which has footnotes and everything, and is addressed to RIAA President Cary Sherman, the Washington D.C.-based NetCoalition said it fears ISPs are being drawn too deeply into the fight against internet piracy. The letter points out there havealready been examples of mistakes in the RIAA’s subpoena requests, and that there is no judicial oversight for the subpoena demands. It also expressed concern that the record industry is asking ISPs to become the “police of the internet.” Oddly, the letter was not sent via email.
The RIAA has filed approximately 1,000 subpoenas in its recent campaign to punish and deter file-swappers.
