RIAA admits its legal campaign is useless

THE RECORDING Industry Association of America (RIAA) has admitted that its lawsuit campaign against people it calls pirates is not the answer to the problem.

According to the RIAA's own figures there are more than 7.8 million households in March 2007 in the US that illegally downloaded music. This is in comparison with 6.9 million households in April 2003, when the litigation campaign began.

In an interview with TG Daily, Jonathan Lamy, a spokesman for the RIAA said that litigation generated more heat, friction, and headlines.

He thought it was better to follow an aggressive licensing and offering legal alternatives. Lamy said that this was a better way to win over fans although it would continue with its legal strategy anyway.

John Palfrey, a clinical professor of law at Harvard Law School and executive director of the Berkman Center for Internet and Society told TG Daily that litigation has not made a meaningful dent in how much piracy goes on among American young people.

He said that it represents a signal that the recording industry is out of step. More here. µ