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DJ Drama Arrested for Making Mix Tapes

Because commentary on current events will lend me a tiny amount of respectability: link. Basically, this guy is providing a service (making hip-hop mix tapes), and by this account doing the industry a favor, and the RIAA pays him back by getting him arrested and sent up on racketeering charges.

At first, it seems strange that it's the RICO. I don't know much about federal RICO (and absolutely nothing about the Georgia racketeering charges DJ Drama was brought up on), but I do know that racketeering laws are generally drawn pretty broadly. Basically, if you're doing something illegal, it's more illegal to do it in an organized fashion. Most likely, the prosecutors are just fronting, exaggerating the charges so they're in a position to negotiate down from a higher point. I'll bet Drama ends up paying a hefty fine, but nothing more.

You can't really dispute that distributing mix tapes, labeled "For Promotional Use Only" or not, is against copyright law. But the NY Times does a great job making the argument that Drama's activities are neither wrong nor detrimental to anybody. Again, the RIAA demonstrates just how out-of-touch and short-sighted they are. Someday, maybe, they'll get someone that works for them that has the ability to take the long view. But then they'll just fire him.

Full post as published by The Mighty Argos on January 18, 2007 (boomark / email).