p2pnet - rss feed: California DAs and the RIAA
p2pnet.net News:- July 1 marks the California District Attorneys Association reception and awards and installation banquet when CDAA officers and its board of directors will be installed.
And guess who’s paying for some of this?
The RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America).
That’s right. The RIAA is hosting the banquet reception and buying drinks for everyone, says the CDAA on its site.
And the RIAA is giving away free CDs as well.
But wait …
Could this be some kind of conflict of interest? Could it have the potential to affect people sued by the RIAA in California?
Inquiring minds, including A. Nonymous-Coward who told us about this, need to know.
In the meanwhile, this shouldn’t come as any kind of a surprise since California’s state legal fraternity has an extremly cosy relationship with Hollywood.
A recent letter from California attorney general Bill Lockyer to fellow state AGs was edited by MPAA lobbyist Vans Stevenson, who reports directly to MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America) boss Jack Valenti.
June 30th, 2004 at 8:14 am
To the RIAA, a cd is probably cheaper to hand out than it would be to get business cards printed.
July 2nd, 2004 at 3:33 pm
The web site for the California DA’s lists several businesses paying for “hosting” of events, really gifts to the DA’s, where some lawyer-lobbyist hired by the company will be meeting people and finding ways to exert yet more influence.
The important message to get out, to anyone being prosecuted for file sharing, is that this conflict of interest may be reason to disqualify DA’s from file sharing prosecutions. Please pass the word to everyone who is being prosecuted.
If you need more info on DA misconduct, please email me
boatbrain@aol.com
July 3rd, 2004 at 4:18 am
Here’s a link to legislation analyst page about increasing penalties for unauthorized CDs. The CDAA wrote a letter in support, just before the RIAA bought them dinner. This conflict of interest is probably against prosecutor ethics. Tell eveyrone being prosecuted to get this info to their lawyers
http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/bill/asm/ab_0001-0050/ab_6_cfa_20030708_141735_sen_comm.html
July 6th, 2004 at 4:54 pm
Hi,
I am just wondering how to contact Mr. Newton, who runs this forum, I think?
I wanted to find somebody who can give me advice on how to run a forum. I gave the story on California DA’s, and want to start a forum on them, but don’t know how.
Thanks,
Steve White
boatbrain@aol.com