The War on Sharing: Why the FSF Cares About RIAA Lawsuits

“We don’t make (much) music here at the Free Software
Foundation, so it’s natural for people to wonder why the FSF has
been standing up for individuals targeted by lawsuits launched by
the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Most recently
we filed an *amicus curiae* brief in the case of *Sony BMG Music
Entertainment, et al. v. Joel Tenenbaum* showing the RIAA’s theory
of statutory damage awards to be unconstitutional.

“Some would prefer that we refrain from fighting these lawsuits,
suggesting that they are a distraction from the FSF’s core charter.
But opposing them is actually an important part of our mission to
support free software. First, these lawsuits represent a concerted
attempt to rewrite copyright law in a way that threatens to
undermine the ultimate goals of the free software movement. Second,
a vocal minority in the entertainment industry uses these lawsuits
as warrants to justify DRM technology and other measures to monitor
and control the flow of information over the internet. Third, if
unopposed, these lawsuits create a culture in which people are
afraid to share, presuming sharing to be theft.”

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