The RIAA must be stopped

This should raise the hackles on the back of anyone who owns an iPod or any other MP3 player. A recording industry attorney is taking the position that one can be sued by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for the simple act of ripping an MP3 file from a CD one has purchased and copying it to a player or computer.

The RIAA's own Web site is more conciliatory, but implies that the organization reserves the right to go after music "rippers" should it change its mind.

"If you make unauthorized copies of copyrighted music recordings ... you could be held legally liable for thousands of dollars in damages," it plainly states before adding that "transferring a copy onto your computer hard drive or your portable music player won't usually raise concerns so long as the copy is made from an authorized original CD that you legitimately own [or] the copy is just for your personal use."

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Copying a song you've paid for in CD form is "a nice way of saying 'steals just one copy,'" Sony BMG top lawyer Jennifer Pariser testified during cross-examination in the Jammie Thomas case in early October.

The avarice of the RIAA knows no bounds, and its attorneys will be responsible for the death of the industry they claim to represent.