Reprint: A Letter to the RIAA and its Members
Dear RIAA,
For a long time now, you’ve been slowly eroding the rights of legitimate music owners in the name of “ending piracy”. I respect the fact that there are individuals who avoid paying for music through illegal copying and/or downloading, and that such actions cause your members damage. However, of late your preponderance for taking away the freedoms of your members’ customers while ignoring the effect this has on your sales (which you conveniently ascribe to “piracy”) has made you seem a bit insane.
This morning I read about your statement that, in your opinion, I cannot legally transfer the music on CD to a portable player so that I may enjoy it in places where carrying CDs and CD players would be impractical, nor can I use a backup copy of a CD in order to protect the original from damage. I can only assume, by this statement, that you have a drug-abuse problem that has progressed to the point of destroying your capacity for rational thought.
I not be purchasing music — on CD or in any other format — from RIAA-member publishers until you seek the treatment you so desparately need.
Until then, fuck you all.
Regards, Proteus.