Thanks for the Warning
Some of you may remember that the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) tried to sue over 200 people for breaking copyright laws about a month ago. Well, as you would guess, when a huge organization sues a 12-year old kid, there tends to be a bit of a public backlash.
So, the RIAA had to deal with a lot of bad publicity. What they decided to do to try and avoid this public scrutiny is nothing short of brilliant. In a move designed to make them appear softer and gentler, the RIAA is now sending out warning letters to suspected law-breakers telling them that unless they comply with the letter, they will be sued. Nice of them, eh?
Take another look at this. The only difference between bringing a lawsuit immediately or after sending a warning letter is the level of public scrutiny. A lawsuit goes into the public record, a warning letter does not. They also give themselves a chance to screen their targets, which allows them to avoid another publicity nightmare.
Brilliant. It was a very simple and subtle move, but they've pretty much taken the media out of the loop, while being able to continue with their strong arm tactics. They are scary, nasty bastards, but that's still a brilliant move.
Posted by Mr. Eff on 10/22/2003 || link
