RIAA on the Warpath Again Against Music Pirates

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the trade association that represents the major recording labels, has announced it will launch a new anti-piracy effort against small business owners, such as convenience stores and gas stations, who sell counterfeit CDs. Since CD-burning technology has become affordable for small retailers to produce their own copies of CDs for sale, the recording industry has become desperate to attempt to stop the growth of pirated CDs. According to the Chief Executive of RIAA, Hilary Rosen, "This new initiative should serve as a clarion call for retail outlets of all shapes and sizes that we take music piracy seriously and they need to get their house in order. No one should think they operate below the radar anymore."

In recent months, the RIAA has sent letters to leading colleges and Fortune 500 companies, requesting that these entities better police their own networks for copyright infringers. As revenues of the RIAA continue to shrink, it is likely that the RIAA will intensify its enforcement efforts.