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American Morning

Interview With Amy Weiss, Wayne Rosso

Aired January 22, 2004 - 09:17   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The recording industry yet again targeting people for swapping songs illegally over the Internet. It's now suing more than 500 unnamed computer users. The defendants only identified by their Internet addresses.
And with us to talk about it today, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Wayne Rosso, CEO of a peer network called Blubster. He certainly has an opinion on this matter. From D.C., Amy Weiss, senior vice president of the Recording Industry Association of America.

Amy, good morning to you, as well.

AMY WEISS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA: Good morning.

HEMMER: Let's start with you in Washington.

All you have is an I.P. How do you track these people down? How is that possible?

WEISS: Well, the way we get their I.P. address is off the peer to peer networks that they're using. This is all very public information. We send the I.P. address to the courts. We then get permission to subpoena the ISP for the...

HEMMER: So you're saying it's not that hard, then, the way you've laid this out?

WEISS: It's very easy. People don't realize what they're doing online is very public.

HEMMER: You, this case really broke last summer for the first time. What's different about the tactics you're trying now?

WEISS: Well, there's been a slight change in legal process, but the facts remain the same. This activity is illegal and there are consequences. And we want to send a strong message to people that we will sue you if you are sharing lots of music on the Internet.

HEMMER: Wayne, she says it's illegal. So does the RIAA. They've said that for some time now.

Why continue doing it?

WAYNE ROSSO, CEO, BLUBSTER: Well, Bill, clearly they're within their rights, but they're wrong. There's no question that the consumers have sent a message, a clear message, to the RIAA and to the recording industry at large that this is how they want to get their music. Unfortunately, the entertainment industry is being run by a bunch of deaf, dumb and blind people, because they're not hearing or listening.

WEISS: Well, the great news is there's lots of legal alternatives on the Internet where you can get the music you love at a reasonable price.

ROSSO: Well, what's reasonable? The fact of the matter is these people have been ripping off the American public for so long now and now they're using that money that they've been getting from you and the public and the consumer for years and years and years to sue you.

HEMMER: Define that rip-off, Wayne.

Define that rip-off. How is that happening?

ROSSO: They're overcharging. They have been stealing from recording artists from the beginning of time.

WEISS: Let's get to the real facts here. This is nothing more than stealing music and there are legal alternatives. We need to give the legal alternatives like iTunes and other legal services, Napster, the right to compete on a level playing field. These peer to peer networks are doing nothing more than giving away our music for free...

ROSSO: Let's...

WEISS: And there are thousands of people who have lost their jobs because of piracy.

HEMMER: Go ahead, Wayne.

ROSSO: Ms. Weiss, I'm sure you're a very nice young lady. But let's talk about facts here. In 1985 in the Dowling case in the Supreme Court, Justice Harry Blackmun specifically said that copyright infringement is not stealing. Once again, the recording industry...

WEISS: The courts have over and over again ruled in our favor.

ROSSO: I am sorry, the courts have over and over again ruled in the peer to peer networks' favor, clearly saying that peer to peer technology is no different from a VCR or a Xerox machine.

HEMMER: Amy, do you have proof that when these legal cases come out that it stops and dissuades certain people from swapping music?

WEISS: Well, the good news is this has begun a national dialogue. Parents are talking to their kids about whether or not they're downloading illegally on the Internet and people have been going to the legal services and finding that they're a great alternative to the peer to peer networks that offer you spam, pornography in your system, viruses. You know, the truth is that the peer to peer networks can do very simple things like educate their consumers. Or they can filter out our works and they can let people know that what they're doing is illegal and there are consequences. But they've chosen not to.

ROSSO: Bill...

HEMMER: We're running out of time.

Wayne, quick, a final word please.

ROSSO: Bill, once again, the recording industry is propagating a huge lie upon the American public and legislators. We cannot filter. None of this is true. And, first of all, we're accused of being pornography merchants...

WEISS: Grace, there are many, many people who have said that...

ROSSO: ... when -- excuse me.

WEISS: ... they can filter.

ROSSO: Then where is it? Show it. You've never been able to show us the technology that can do it. Where is it?

WEISS: There are many companies who said that they can filter.

ROSSO: Where is it? Where is it?

HEMMER: We are going to leave it there. Obviously a little more to debate. Let's do it again some time, OK?

ROSSO: Thanks, Bill.

WEISS: Thank you.

HEMMER: Amy Weiss, Wayne Rosso.

Strong opinions on both sides.

WEISS: Thank you.

ROSSO: Thank you.

HEMMER: Appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired January 22, 2004 - 09:17   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: The recording industry yet again targeting people for swapping songs illegally over the Internet. It's now suing more than 500 unnamed computer users. The defendants only identified by their Internet addresses.
And with us to talk about it today, Virginia Beach, Virginia, Wayne Rosso, CEO of a peer network called Blubster. He certainly has an opinion on this matter. From D.C., Amy Weiss, senior vice president of the Recording Industry Association of America.

Amy, good morning to you, as well.

AMY WEISS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA: Good morning.

HEMMER: Let's start with you in Washington.

All you have is an I.P. How do you track these people down? How is that possible?

WEISS: Well, the way we get their I.P. address is off the peer to peer networks that they're using. This is all very public information. We send the I.P. address to the courts. We then get permission to subpoena the ISP for the...

HEMMER: So you're saying it's not that hard, then, the way you've laid this out?

WEISS: It's very easy. People don't realize what they're doing online is very public.

HEMMER: You, this case really broke last summer for the first time. What's different about the tactics you're trying now?

WEISS: Well, there's been a slight change in legal process, but the facts remain the same. This activity is illegal and there are consequences. And we want to send a strong message to people that we will sue you if you are sharing lots of music on the Internet.

HEMMER: Wayne, she says it's illegal. So does the RIAA. They've said that for some time now.

Why continue doing it?

WAYNE ROSSO, CEO, BLUBSTER: Well, Bill, clearly they're within their rights, but they're wrong. There's no question that the consumers have sent a message, a clear message, to the RIAA and to the recording industry at large that this is how they want to get their music. Unfortunately, the entertainment industry is being run by a bunch of deaf, dumb and blind people, because they're not hearing or listening.

WEISS: Well, the great news is there's lots of legal alternatives on the Internet where you can get the music you love at a reasonable price.

ROSSO: Well, what's reasonable? The fact of the matter is these people have been ripping off the American public for so long now and now they're using that money that they've been getting from you and the public and the consumer for years and years and years to sue you.

HEMMER: Define that rip-off, Wayne.

Define that rip-off. How is that happening?

ROSSO: They're overcharging. They have been stealing from recording artists from the beginning of time.

WEISS: Let's get to the real facts here. This is nothing more than stealing music and there are legal alternatives. We need to give the legal alternatives like iTunes and other legal services, Napster, the right to compete on a level playing field. These peer to peer networks are doing nothing more than giving away our music for free...

ROSSO: Let's...

WEISS: And there are thousands of people who have lost their jobs because of piracy.

HEMMER: Go ahead, Wayne.

ROSSO: Ms. Weiss, I'm sure you're a very nice young lady. But let's talk about facts here. In 1985 in the Dowling case in the Supreme Court, Justice Harry Blackmun specifically said that copyright infringement is not stealing. Once again, the recording industry...

WEISS: The courts have over and over again ruled in our favor.

ROSSO: I am sorry, the courts have over and over again ruled in the peer to peer networks' favor, clearly saying that peer to peer technology is no different from a VCR or a Xerox machine.

HEMMER: Amy, do you have proof that when these legal cases come out that it stops and dissuades certain people from swapping music?

WEISS: Well, the good news is this has begun a national dialogue. Parents are talking to their kids about whether or not they're downloading illegally on the Internet and people have been going to the legal services and finding that they're a great alternative to the peer to peer networks that offer you spam, pornography in your system, viruses. You know, the truth is that the peer to peer networks can do very simple things like educate their consumers. Or they can filter out our works and they can let people know that what they're doing is illegal and there are consequences. But they've chosen not to.

ROSSO: Bill...

HEMMER: We're running out of time.

Wayne, quick, a final word please.

ROSSO: Bill, once again, the recording industry is propagating a huge lie upon the American public and legislators. We cannot filter. None of this is true. And, first of all, we're accused of being pornography merchants...

WEISS: Grace, there are many, many people who have said that...

ROSSO: ... when -- excuse me.

WEISS: ... they can filter.

ROSSO: Then where is it? Show it. You've never been able to show us the technology that can do it. Where is it?

WEISS: There are many companies who said that they can filter.

ROSSO: Where is it? Where is it?

HEMMER: We are going to leave it there. Obviously a little more to debate. Let's do it again some time, OK?

ROSSO: Thanks, Bill.

WEISS: Thank you.

HEMMER: Amy Weiss, Wayne Rosso.

Strong opinions on both sides.

WEISS: Thank you.

ROSSO: Thank you.

HEMMER: Appreciate it.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com