First the University of Tennessee turned down the RIAA/Napster music tax in 2004 that would’ve forced each student to pay a mandatory $9.99 per month fee regardless of whether or not the student wanted or ever used the service (given the university’s size that would’ve added up to almost $2 million dollars a month for a service no one wanted). The tax proposed was a mob-like protection money scheme that amounted to “you pay us X amount per month for the use of our services (Napster is a rental service and songs expire when you stop paying) and we (the RIAA) won’t sue.”
Then the RIAA came out with a hit-list where it named the top 25 schools for music piracy and unsurprisingly, the University of Tennessee was ranked number five. One University of Tennessee student paid out $3000 dollars to the RIAA after they sent a letter to her through the university offering her a settlement. The letter and the university’s compliance was questionable given a 2003 ruling that stated the RIAA can’t subpoena a user’s identity or information without first filing a lawsuit –you know like the way everyone else has to do it.
As it turns out, the RIAA was busy between the time the Tennessee Board of Regents turned down their “protection” scheme–er Napster tax– in 2004 and this school year’s (2006-2007) lawsuits. What were they doing in the intervening time? Why, they were donating to several lawmakers’ election and reelection campaigns.
Fortunately, the Consumerist compiled a list of 50 lawmakers that the RIAA donated to for their 2006 election campaigns. As it turns out, four — 4 out of 50 nationwide– Tennessee legislators made the list.
Feel free to contact them and remind them that they work for you and not the RIAA whose abuse of the court system and bullying tactics have become legendary. Inform them that IP addresses are not sufficient grounds to prove that an individual engaged in piracy and that you are sick of the abusive letters, lawsuits, and the unwarranted prosecution of children, mothers, and grandmothers.
***NOTE: The money links lead to database search results at Political Money Line. Since Political Money Line doesn’t keep search results as permalinks you may have to search for each candidate’s donations yourself. The amounts listed are from donations to each legislator’s 2006 campaign funds.***
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