Conspiracy to Commit Extortion Against RIAA is Upheld by Court

[multi]

5 Out of 6 Counterclaims Against RIAA in UMG v. Del Cid are Upheld by Court, Including Counterclaim for Conspiracy to Commit Extortion

The court sustained defendant's counterclaims for

-trespass to defendant's personal property based on the RIAA's having accessed files on Ms. Del Cid's computer without her permission,
-violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act based on the RIAA's unauthorized intrusion into defendant's computer,
-violation of Florida's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act,
-a declaratory judgment of non-infringement, and
-conspiracy to commit extortion, since defendant sufficiently alleged "a peculiar power of coercion possessed by Plaintiffs [by] virtue of their combination, which an individual alone would not possess".

Defendant's sixth counterclaim, which the Court upheld, alleges:

Plaintiffs have conspired among themselves and with others to commit the
following illegal acts to further the ends of their conspiracy: (a) use of private
investigators to conduct investigations in Florida against Florida residents,
without license, in violation of Fla. Stat. Chapter 493; (b) unauthorized access to a
protected computer system, in interstate commerce, for the purpose of obtaining
information in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1030; and (c) extortion and attempted
extortion in violation of the Hobbs Act, 18 U.S.C. 1951.

http://recordingindustryvspeople.blo...inst-riaa.html

[JackSpratts]

i presume this means the suit against the riaa will now move to the next phase, and the association will immediately summon every ounce of every asset it has to defend itself.

there is much at stake now. they're not just facing a monetary loss. if they lose the industry group itself may be destroyed, as well as any other similarly structured entity, like the mpaa for instance.

this is the eye of the storm:

-conspiracy to commit extortion, since defendant sufficiently alleged 'a peculiar power of coercion possessed by Plaintiffs [by] virtue of their combination, which an individual alone would not possess.'

the justice dept is going to go crazy. they won't care that this is a citizen defending herself against an out of control monopoly but will react as if it is nothing less than an attack against business, and for many in the establishment an attack against business is an attack against america, even if that business is itself assaulting the very people for whom those in government have sworn to serve.

- js.

[multi]

Sadly , yes you are probably right...

any hope that people once had of keeping corrupt organizations like this in check have long been lobbied out of existence with the help of politicians with full pockets lined with corporate money.

[JackSpratts]

that and the simmering anger i feel when us officials use my tax dollars to support a group that is both foreign and harmful to americans!

- js.