<p>Here's a radical idea for you all: If you want something, pay for it! If it was meant to be free, it would be made available for free legally. You can argue until you're blue in the face about how lame the laws are, but laws are laws. The people that got these 3k letters got what they deserved. </p>
<p>And yes, the RIAA sucks.</p>
<p>Eh, the RIAA can su-- (self-edited for profane language).</p>
<p>Maybe if they would stop trying to squeeze millions of dollars out of roughly twenty acts every year, they wouldn't have to worry about college students dl'ing music on the Internet.</p>
<p>TITCR. However, here's how I see it:</p>
<p>Most college students download music illegally.<br>
Only morons/careless ****s get caught by the RIAA.
Natural selection taking its course.</p>
<p>Is it really that difficult for people to find safer alternatives than torrents? Christ.</p>
<p>I think it's also them going after people who literally have downloaded thousands of mp3s and are just sharing them all over the Internet. I was a Napsterhead back in the day, and since like 99 I've only downloaded a couple hundred songs. There are some people downloading a couple hundred a month. Those are the morons who are the real pirates who are getting caught.</p>
<p>Bahahaha, that's what you get for sharing!</p>
<p>;)</p>
<p>I download way more than that per month, and I've always been fine.</p>
<p>Pirate! (10c)</p>
<p>Sorry, I'm a n00b here - but is it easier to get caught using torrents or using DC++? What is the most secure way of getting music? </p>
<p>And does encryption lower your risks of getting caught by a long shot?</p>
<p>All you have to do is send them back a letter saying that you're contacting your state attorney general's office to file a a criminal complaint for extortion and racketeering, and the US Attorneys' office for antitrust violation (mainly collusion). Oh, and don't forget to mention that you may file a class action countersuit. And don't forget to demand that they mail you a list of specific files you allegedly shared. Chances are, they don't have one. And then countersue for extortion, harassment and mail fraud.</p>
<p>Then watch the lawyers squirm in pain. Of course you can't hire the attorney general to represent you, so get some good pro bono legal help. </p>
<p>But yes, the RIAA should and WILL die. They had a chance to capitalize on online music downloading 10 years ago but they didn't. Why? Simple, they wanted to force people to pay $20/piece for a CD, just so you can listen to like 3 tracks. You can get those three tracks on iTunes DRM-free for $3.92 (and NO TAX). Now they're paying the price. Personally I would like to see them get broken up by antitrust litigation.</p>