EFF Reply to RIAA Statement

Regarding Felten Case (June 6, 2001)

The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) and the plaintiffs have filed Felten v. RIAA because the RIAA threatened the scientific process. RIAA currently claims that they "have no intention of bringing a lawsuit against Professor Felten or his colleagues." However, RIAA attorneys spent nearly a month on the phone threatening litigation against everyone associated with publishing the research paper and demanding changes to the paper. RIAA attorneys only started issuing press statements to the contrary after they succeeded in squelching the scientists. (See the complaint.) Verance has never indicated a willingness to allow publication of the research paper.

EFF and the plaintiffs seek not only publication of this research paper without fear of prosecution, but a clear legal determination that no one needs the permission of the record companies before publishing and presenting scientific work.

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See also RIAA's actual statement

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