Memepunks Call to Action!

Here at Memepunks we are up front about our feelings on DRM or Digital "Rights" Management. More correctly referred to as Digital Restrictions Management, this is the technology that neuters your media and electronics. It's the stuff that wont let you move files from your iPod to your computer. It's the stuff that plants root kit viruses on your computer, if you should be foolish enough to try listening to a CD by Sony Music. The world is now lousy with DRM; the region coding on your DVD player, the copy protection on your CDs and DVDs, the broken USB ports on your DVR cable box, limitations on whatever you buy from iTunes or most other on line music stores.

The level of contempt that the entertainment industry has for its customers is abhorrent. Customers are seen as swindlers, cheaters and thieves. To stop the occasional bad apple, the RIAA believes we must all give up our rights and freedoms. Imagine if we were treated that way by our grocer, our favorite retailer, or our local hardware store. Not only would we take our business elsewhere, we might just come back with torches. One activist group has never stood idly by in the face of DRM. The good folks at Defective By Design are known for their flash mob protests and Hazmat bunny suited DRM elimination crews. They have, in the past, protested Microsoft DRM, General DRM, and most recently Apple's iPod-iTunes DRM in cites like Seattle, Chicago, San Francisco, and Cambridge.

Today Defective By Design is asking for our help. They are calling on us to contact the RIAA, the mother of all DRM advocates. DBD would like you to sign up for their telephone protest. At which point they will provide you with a phone number for the Recording Industry Association of America. At some point today, they ask that you call the RIAA and give them a piece of your mind. Let them know what you think of DRM and the companies that support it. Not only is this a great show of solidarity, but it will get the RIAA's attention, and provide a fun outlet for the ticking rant-bomb inside each of us that has had to deal with their particular vile flavor of draconian DRM. Memepunks is joining in to help spread the word and of course make some calls of our own. Sign up HERE with Defective By Design to call the RIAA out on it's grade A mustache twirling evilness. (If you don't want the RIAA to have your phone number feel free to use Skype)

Once you sign up, log in to get particulars on how to contact the RIAA. And this isn't limited to the US, participants are welcome to call the UK, France, Canada, and Germany. Hop on this ASAP, as time is of the essence. Thousands have already signed up for this day long protest. It's time to show the RIAA mafia a little of the love that they have been showing us, their customers. They have to be made to understand that their current model of litigate-lobby-strong arm-produce crap simply will not succeed in the face of informed customer choice. The only thing a better mousetrap creates is smarter mice. Those that choose to violate copyright continue to do so. The ones that really suffer are the non tech savvy customers that simply want to exercise their guaranteed fair use freedoms.

The RIAA needs to find a better business model and quick. Because if they don't, some one else will. While you are pondering that, why don't you view one of these free google videos, or shop around for some music on Magnatune, or perhaps AllofMp3. We at Memepunks think this should not just be a one day thing. When you get those contact numbers and have made your call, save them some place. And then whenever you find yourself frustrated by the RIAA's DRM gestapo, pick up the phone once again and let freedom ring.[via Boing Boing]


"The idea of the enlightenment, the idea of the thing that brought an end to the dark ages, is really the idea that information should be shared, that knowledge should be shared, that progress occurs when we all share knowledge. And no matter what regime we've had since then, that's been a fundamental part of it." - Cory Doctorow

Memepunks Update: The protest has come and gone. By the afternoon the RIAA was screening all of its calls. We could only leave voicemail, so leave them we did. As of Monday at 11:30AM EST, Defective by Design was returning nothing but 404s. We arent sure if this is some sort of retaliation or if DBD is simply updating, But we will be watching to find out. Just in case, we've taken the liberty of collecting and posting the phone numbers of the various record industry stooges so that you may call them repeatedly and at your leasure for any questions or comments on DRM or copyright.

• Brad Buckles RIAA USA (202) 857-9607
  
• Mitch Bainwol RIAA USA (202) 857-9651
  
• Cary Sherman RIAA USA (202) 857-9632
  
• Mitch Glazier RIAA USA (202) 857-9673
  
• Neil Turkowitz RIAA USA (202) 857-9647
  
• Steve Redmond BPI UK +44 (0)20 7803 1324
  
• Peter Jamieson BPI UK +44 (0) 20 7803 1311
  
• Matt Phillips BPI UK 44 (0) 77 3951 4963
  
• Michael Haentjes IFPI Germany +49 (30) 59 00 38-0
  
• Peter Zombik IFPI Germany +49 (30) 59 00 38-0
  
• Jean never Foitzik IFPI Germany +49 (30) 59 00 38-23
  
• Herve Rony SNEP France +33 (1) 44 13 66 66
  
• Graham Henderson CRIA Canada 1 (416) 967-7272 ext. 102

Enjoy this information, and as always, please use it responsibly.