02.22.2004 - RIAA Sued Under Racketeering Laws

Stacy Cowley, IDG News Service -- Thursday, February 19, 2004 -- Michele Scimeca is one of more than 1000 alleged online file-swappers sued by the RIAA since the middle of last year. The industry group filed another batch of 531 lawsuits on Wednesday. The RIAA has settled a number of those lawsuits--and therein lies the problem, according to the complaint Scimeca filed in the U.S. District Court for New Jersey. "Instead of merely providing service of the complaint upon the various defendants, including Ms. Scimeca, the Plaintiffs have opted to include a letter discussing and prompting settlement of the copyright infringement action," the complaint states. "This scare tactic has caused a vast amount of settlements from individuals who feared fighting such a large institution and feel victim to these actions and felt forced to provide funds to settle these actions instead of fighting the institution." - View Full Article - Source: PCWorld.com