[Infowarrior] - RIAA copyright education is contradictory, critics say

[Richard Forno]

RIAA copyright education is contradictory, critics say

By Greg Sandoval
http://news.com.com/RIAA+copyright+education+is+contradictory%2C+critics+say
/2100-1027_3-6111118.html

Story last modified Wed Aug 30 15:37:40 PDT 2006

The music industry's educational video about copyright law has been declared
full of "baloney," according to several trade and public interest groups.

The Consumer Electronics Association and Public Knowledge are among the
groups to issue a joint statement condemning some statements on the
Recording Industry Association of America's video, which the RIAA has plans
to distribute to the nation's universities.

The RIAA's video, a copy of which can be found on its Web site, suggests
that students should be skeptical of free content and that its always
illegal to make a copy of a song, even if its just to introduce a friend to
a new band, said Robert Schwartz, general counsel for the Home Recording
Rights Coalition, one of the groups opposed to the video.

The RIAA has feuded often with groups representing companies, such as
CD-burner manufacturers, that have a stake in music sharing. They claim the
music industry tramples over the rights of individuals as it fights music
piracy. The RIAA has aggressively litigated against people who share music
files on the Web for the past several years. The RIAA's strategy now is to
launch a campaign to educate young people of the consequences they face when
they download music illegally.

"First, we were told we should not enforce our rights," said an RIAA
representative responding to critics of the video. "Now we are told
education is wrong, too. We won't accept such a do-nothing approach. We'll
continue to work with respected higher-education groups to engage students
to think critically about these issues."

The RIAA says that more than 350 universities have expressed interest in the
video.

In the RIAA's seven-minute video, the narrator attempts to explain copyright
law and some of the other hazards with downloading music from the Web, such
as being sued or arrested. At one point, the narrator tells viewers it's
okay for them to make a copy for themselves "as long as it's for you."

"Making copies for your friends, or giving it to them to copy, or e-mailing
it to anyone is just as illegal as free downloading," the video narrator
says.

This appears to contradict a statement made in the Frequently Asked Question
section that accompanies the video, Schwartz claims.

An FAQ-section question asks whether someone who has bought music has the
right to ever upload or download music. The RIAA's answer says that it's
okay for productive or scholarly works. The video's critics say the response
makes no mention of allowable uses for home recordings, even for individual
use, which the law allows.

"The RIAA seems to be making up the rules instead of citing any consistent
interpretation or precedent as to the law," Schwartz said.


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