From mspears at missvalley.com Thu Jul 5 12:22:23 2007 From: mspears at missvalley.com (MikeSpears) Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 11:22:23 -0500 Subject: [Corporations] Suprmes favor Corporations Message-ID: <00b001c7bf21$7c45be80$9e246ad8@Michael> The New York Times | Justice Denied http://www.truthout.org/docs_2006/070507N.shtml The New York Times writes: "In the 1960s, Chief Justice Earl Warren presided over a Supreme Court that interpreted the Constitution in ways that protected the powerless - racial and religious minorities, consumers, students and criminal defendants. At the end of its first full term, Chief Justice John Roberts's court is emerging as the Warren court's mirror image. Time and again the court has ruled, almost always 5-4, in favor of corporations and powerful interests while slamming the courthouse door on individuals and ideals that truly need the court's shelter." From outreach at countercorp.org Thu Jul 5 22:05:35 2007 From: outreach at countercorp.org (CounterCorp) Date: Thu, 5 Jul 2007 19:05:35 -0700 Subject: [Corporations] Fwd: Resisting the corporate Gestapo References: <07C0F124-9472-426F-877B-61D259738ADB@countercorp.org> Message-ID: From CounterCorp's "Corporation Watch" list: > Pursuing Pirates, No Matter the Cost > > By Scholle Sawyer McFarland > > (MacWorld, July 5) -- In case you missed it amid the iPhone hoopla, > a single mother from Oregon won a victory against the recording > industry in June. The Recording Industry Association of America > (RIAA) finally dropped its 2005 case, Atlantic v. Andersen, against > Tanya Andersen. > > The RIAA had accused her of using the peer-to-peer file-sharing > program called Kazaa to illegally download gangster rap songs. > (Some blog posts give specific song titles, including Ludacris? > ?Hoes in My Room.?) > > Andersen filed a countersuit later that year, accusing the RIAA of > racketeering, invasion of privacy, and malicious abuse of the legal > process. > > According to the text of her countersuit, an employee at the > company trying to collect a fine from her [on behalf of the RIAA] > told her that, although he believed she was innocent, the RIAA > would not ?quit their attempts to force payment from her because to > do so would encourage other people to defend themselves.? > > And unless she immediately paid them the sum of roughly $4,000, > the RIAA allegedly would ?ruin her financially.? > > Andersen provided the RIAA with a MySpace page (entitled ?Chad?s > Wacky Life Stories?) linked to the user name that the RIAA said > that she used, as well as the author?s name and location. > > But the RIAA continued to pursue her. It threatened to force a > deposition of her 10-year-old daughter ? even going to the lengths > of masquerading as the girl?s grandmother in a call to her > elementary school. > > And so the whole sad affair continued until earlier this year, > when the recording industry agreed to drop their case ? if Andersen > dropped hers. She refused, and filed a motion demanding that the > RIAA provide proof she had illegally downloaded music. Right before > the June deadline, the RIAA relented. > > The case was dismissed, significantly, ?with prejudice.? In legal > speak, the court said Andersen is innocent and can try to recover > her attorney fees. > > Andersen filed a new suit in Oregon to seek additional damages > from the RIAA, the company that collected fines for them, as well > as the private investigation company that helps them in their > pursuit of pirates. > > That the RIAA thinks it necessary to stoop to such ham-handed > tactics ? pursuing the innocent when there are plenty of real > pirates out there ? is truly frightening. (And, of course, > frightened is exactly what they want us to be.) > > But it also goes to show how impotent the recording industry must > feel as electronic music completely reorganizes its world. Let?s > hope Tanya Andersen?s victory gives them pause before they do > anything like that again. > > _________________________________________ > > ** Corporation Watch: Shining a spotlight on corporate pathology ** > Submit feedback or articles to corpwatch-editor at countercorp.org > For more information about CounterCorp, visit www.countercorp.org CounterCorp: Putting an end to business as usual 2007 Anti-Corporate Film Festival October 19-21, San Francisco www.countercorp.org :-:-=-:-=-:-=-:-=-:-=-:-=-:-=-:-=-:-=-:-=-:-=-:-=-:-: To submit a film for the 2007 Anti-Corporate Film Festival, or for more details: www.countercorp.org/countercorp-festival.htm To subscribe to CounterCorp's News and Events e-mail list, visit http://list.countercorp.org/mailman/listinfo/countercorp-news To add CounterCorp events to your computer or iPod calendar, click on webcal://icalx.com/public/CounterCorp/CounterCorp.ics To subscribe to CounterCorp's "Corporation Watch" e-mail list, visit the information page at http://www.corporationwatch.org To donate to CounterCorp, select our name from the drop-down menu at https://secure.groundspring.org/dn/index.php?id=695