Rednecks discover peer-to-peer networking, RIAA worried

Categorized | Entertainment

Tags : music piracy, rednecks, RIAA, torrents

Rednecks discover peer-to-peer networking, RIAA worried

Published on March 19, 2010 ⋅ Written by Mike Hunt ⋅ Email this article ⋅ Print this post ⋅ Post a comment

Markton: Internet is magical

Washington, DC -- The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) today called for renewed vigilance and more stringent measures to battle music piracy after reports surfaced that residents of a trailer park in Lauderdale County, Mississippi have figured out how to download music illegally.

In a statement released to the press, RIAA Chairman and CEO Mitch Bainwol said there is strong evidence indicating that Garth Brooks's entire music catalog, as well as latest CDs by Taylor Swift, Rascal Flatts and Carrie Underwood, may have been downloaded using peer-to-peer networking technology in a cluster of mobile homes near the border of Kemper County.

"The moment we have feared the most has come. The devil with the distributed hash tables has seeped into the Deep South," said Bainwol. "We don't know how it happened, but now more than ever is the time to reinforce our dedication to fighting this online menace."

According to RIAA estimates, over 95% of country music CDs sold last year were purchased in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Texas. This is a very significant amount, Bainwol says, and in fact the only reason why the recorded music industry in the United States still exists.

Former Billboard Magazine employee and now American Idol judge Kara DioGuardi agrees.

"We've always had country music as our reliable cushion. The God-fearing South, with their guns and greasy food, has always had the back of the music industry," said DioGuardi. "Now, our primary source of revenue is in danger of whittling away. We need to stop this and reverse the damage immediately."

The RIAA is still conducting its investigation and will not be laying charges in the interim, but Bainwol said they have already firmed up plans to dissuade citizens in the affected areas from utilizing the newfound knowledge of peer-to-peer networks. At the top of the list is a billboard ad campaign with simple messages such as "The Devil is in the Internet." and "The Internet is a doorway into Hell."

"The billboards go up tomorrow and will mainly be concentrated in Lauderdale County. But we will expand the campaign to neighboring counties in the coming weeks," said Bainwol. "It's better to be safe than sorry."

For now, Lauderdale County residents can revel in the joys of downloading music illegally.

"Who'd haf thunk thet yo' c'd git CDs off of th' Internet? Thet Internet sho'nuff is magical, ah reckon," said Baylus Markton, 25, who downloaded the platinum edition of Swift's "Fearless" CD.