RIAA's New Seal of Disapproval
Music, software, video-game and DVD packages shortly will carry the famous FBI stamp and warnings about piracy, in a move to hammer home the message that stealing copyright materials is a serious crime, industry officials said Thursday.
"It is our hope that when consumers see the new FBI warning on the music they purchase, both physically and online, they will take the time to learn the dos and don'ts of copying and uploading to the Internet," said Brad Buckles, vice president of antipiracy at the Recording Industry Association of America. "These are serious crimes with serious consequences -- including federal prosecution -- if the wrong choices are made about copying or uploading music without permission."
"Once again the recording industry is putting its effort into scare tactics rather than market solutions," said Jason Schultz, an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "The last thing music fans want is another stern warning from the recording industry."