There are many things I disagree with about what the RIAA does - pay us $3k and we'll settle out of court letters which they tell ISPs and Colleges to send out en masse, stating that ripping your own CDs is illegal, and even hinting that taping off of the radio is piracy - does not mean they currently do not have a legal right to pursue action against piracy.
My solution to the RIAA's actions is hardline - since they began suing, I have chosen not to buy one single commercial CD. That includes used CDs. I've tried to find alternatives - buying directly from the artist or looking for local bands and buying their "home brewed" CDs.
However, I think it is time the courts step up and clearly define what exactly is bought in a purchase of a CD. I also think they need to look into the methodology the RIAA has used when suing individuals. Should they be able to use colleges and/or ISPs to serve due legal notice? What degree of evidence should they have before bringing an individual to court? Is blanketing users with out-of-court settlement statements extortion? Where does fair use fall?
However, I am against pro-class warfare statements that create an unrealistic "noble us versus criminal them" image. They have that money because the producers (musicians) and consumers ("noble us") have willingly gone alone with the system - few of "noble us" wish to pay the higher prices for producer direct purchases. Middlemen exist because they do a significant amount of promoting of good - and getting in with the right distributor means your product will reach many more markets. Dislike what they do, dislike how they operate - but don't discredit what they do.
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