BetaNews: BearShare Settles with RIAA for $30m

[Damion Chaplin]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.betanews.com/article/BearShare_Settles_with_RIAA_for_30m/1146854459' target='_blank'>http://www.betanews.com/article/BearShare_Settles_with_RIAA_for_30m/1146854459</a><br /><br /></div><i>"Free Peers, the company that owned and operated the BearShare network, has agreed to pay $30 million to the Recording Industry Association of America to avoid a copyright infringement lawsuit, court documents indicated Thursday. Free Peers has also agreed to disband and promised to not operate any unlicensed music download services... The RIAA applauded the decision, saying the Grokster case gave it the leverage needed to force a settlement with Free Peers. The group said the Supreme Court's ruling that P2P networks could be held liable for their users' actions was transforming the digital music marketplace."</i><br /><br /> <img src="http://www.digitalmediathoughts.com/images/BearShare.jpg" /> <br /><br />So someone please explain how Free Peers even has $30 million dollars to pay off the RIAA. I mean, where did they get that kind of revenue? Spyware? Oh, well, I guess I don't really need to know. All that really matters is that the illegal avenues for music (and other digital media) are one by one being shut down. Now if only they would release a pay-based music download service that has no (or at least mild) DRM and is as easy to use as almost any P2P client is, there'd be no need for us to post on news like this in the first place ('cause it would all be old hat already).

[adderx99]

In my opinion, the RIAA has a new busness model to offset slumping CD sales and lack of quality content; sue everybody! $30 million is probably about the amount of money they make on a #1 record. After leagal fees, they probably make alot of money off of these lawsuits.
As to the cause of P2P networks having the dough, maybe advertising? I don't use that software, so Im not sure if they still have targeted ads.

[jeffd]

hahaha.. oh man damion, those were my exact thoughts. how does a free p2p network like bearshare manage to get 30m?!

[hang5lngbd]

Now if only they would release a pay-based music download service that has no (or at least mild) DRM and is as easy to use as almost any P2P client is.

allofmp3.com is your friend. No DRM legal downloads at 8 cents per song (it's run from Russia)