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US music industry sues another 532 suspected music pirates
WASHINGTON : The US music industry has said it is suing 532 individuals over suspected unauthorised online song swapping, as it stepped up its anti-piracy lawsuits.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), which represents major music labels, had up to now filed 382 lawsuits.
But because of a recent appeals court ruling in favor of Internet service providers refusing to turn over names of suspected music pirates, the RIAA was forced to file its complaints against unknown "John Doe" defendants and go to court to determine their names.
The lawsuits identify the defendants by their numerical computer address, known as an IP, or Internet Protocol, address.
"Our campaign against illegal file sharers is not missing a beat," said RIAA President Cary Sherman.
"The message to illegal file sharers should be as clear as ever: We can and will continue to bring lawsuits on a regular basis against those who illegally distribute copyrighted music."
The RIAA suffered a setback in mid-December, when a US appeals court ruled that
telecommunications giant Verizon was not required to disclose the identity of suspected music pirates.
The RIAA had previously invoked the the 1998 Digital Millennium Copyright Act to force ISPs to turn over suspects' names, an approach upheld by a lower court.
But the appeals court found the law does not apply to peer-to-peer networks, where infringing material is stored on individual hard drives rather than on public Web sites.
As a result of the court ruling, the RIAA said it was unable to notify suspected file sharers and offer them an opportunity to settle the matter before a lawsuit is filed.
But Mr Sherman said the RIAA would still attempt to reach out-of-court settlements with those who are interested.
Since September, the RIAA has settled 233 of the 382 lawsuits it has filed for about US$3,000 each and reached another 100 settlements in principle.
The rest are proceeding in litigation.
Like the earlier suits, the latest are targetted against what the group considers to be the most "egregious" cases of copyright infringement.
But critics say the the music industry's campaign is still turning off music lovers and fails to recognise new technology.
The RIAA represents major labels such as the music arms of Vivendi Universal, Sony, Time Warner, Bertelsmann and EMI. - CNA
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