RIAA Asks for Blanket Gag Order

[Chris Gohlke]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://digitalmusic.weblogsinc.com/2006/08/10/riaa-asks-for-blanket-gag-order/' target='_blank'>http://digitalmusic.weblogsinc.com/2006/08/10/riaa-asks-for-blanket-gag-order/</a><br /><br /></div><i>"RIAA member companies have pulled a great list of legal stunts. This trumps them all in my opinion. To put it in plain and simple English, what Sony BMG have asked is that the court trump the 1st amendment rights of the defendant and the defendant's counsel in order to save them from public scrutiny of their own words during deposition."</i><br /><br />While I can understand the potential need for certain things to be kept confidential, I think the RIAA is going too far in wanting an agreement that the entire contents of a deposition be kept confidential prior to producing any witnesses. The need to keep any information confidential should be handled on a case by case basis. This request makes it look like they know they there is still a way for them to go even lower in the public eye if all the facts became known.