And they’re arguing the point in court. Do they understand that winning this ruling would be worse for them than losing?
Now, in an unusual case in which an Arizona recipient of an RIAA letter has fought back in court rather than write a check to avoid hefty legal fees, the industry is taking its argument against music sharing one step further: In legal documents in its federal case against Jeffrey Howell, a Scottsdale, Ariz., man who kept a collection of about 2,000 music recordings on his personal computer, the industry maintains that it is illegal for someone who has legally purchased a CD to transfer that music into his computer.
Back when I was a kid learning how to swim at the YMCA, they’d teach us lifesaving techniques. They’d remind us that a desperate drowning person can take you down with them without even realizing they’re doing it.
I think that may be what the music companies end up doing to copyright law.
