Okay this is NOT a thread about where to find the damn cd or any cd that has leaked, but I do want to know what's going on with what seems to be a very big security breach in the music industry lately.

I have a friend who forwarded me a message from one of her instructors which covered this issue (although barely), and everything I know -- basically nothing -- was translated into this brief article:

The FCC has not yet been successful in identifying a single person or specific group of people responsible for the more than 50 albums that have leaked within the past three months. The most recent of these albums include Justin Timberlake's upcoming release and Evanescence's The Open Door. One Criminal Defense Attorney is saying that "the cause of most [of the] album leaks [is] a result of what [ ... ] seems to be 'the greatest security breach' in the music industry." Those unreleased albums which have not been attained and leaked to the public before their intended release dates have reportedly been placed under high security.

If you guys know any more details regarding how the album leaked or pertaining to this issue, please do tell.

As far as I know, people that get advance copys of the album for whatever reason, be it that they are in the band's family or maybe they're a radio DJ and the record company wants positive feedback advertising from them (Lots of others, but those are probably the majority).

Either way, somehow one of those people somehow either is stupid and e-mails the files to someone that SHOULDN'T have them, or just loans out the CD to someone that SHOULDN'T have it, and it dominoes until everyone and their sister has it.

I agree that something needs to be done about it. Copy protection and strict monitoring of music is silly, but if record companys really want their material kept secret until it's intended release date, then They need to enforce VERY strong protection. A warning laber wouldn't deter me from copying the new Ev album for my best friend, and even if i do trust them, they might just lead to a very serious leak.

IMO, the only real way to stop leaks is to not GIVE out advance copys, but rather stream them on a secure website that expires after like 5 listens to the music, or something like that. Giving out thousands of physical CDs is just begging for a leak.

I have a question somewhat regarding this issue.

Can anyone get in trouble for downloading these leaked albums?

I have a question somewhat regarding this issue.

Can anyone get in trouble for downloading these leaked albums?would you want to...no...COULD YOU press charges on 1500+ people at one time?

They're only after the person responsible for the leak, not those on the recieving end.


now, if you burn the tracks onto a CD and sell them to the guy downtown for $50, then yes you could get in trouble if the record company found out.

Technically, you can only get in trouble for SHARING the leaked album. If you read closely, you'll realize that the record companies who were doing all the suing a while back always targetted the people who were providing the music for other people to download. I'm pretty sure you can't get into trouble for just downloading it (as long as you make sure you don't start to automatically share it on some sort of torrent or other p2p program), but don't hold me accountable if I'm wrong, I probably am haha.

Anyway,
the only real way to stop leaks is to not GIVE out advance copys, but rather stream them on a secure website that expires after like 5 listens to the music, or something like that.
The first thing I heard last night - mere rumors, mind you - was that a secure media-storage website set up so that record companies could upload new albums for critics to listen to and review was hacked, and that the hackers were responsible for leaking the albums. This is another thing that you probably won't want to hold me to, though, as the person I heard it from apparently heard it from somebody else... and you all know how rumors grow.

Thanks guys. :)

I have no intentions of sharing this album whatsoever, I just wanted to know if I could go to jail and rot for listening to the songs. xD

would you want to...no...COULD YOU press charges on 1500+ people at one time?


Exactly. There were cases a while ago of people being sued for just downloading music, but mainly they target those who actually share the music and upload it for people to download. You wont' stop people downloading music by sueing some of them, but if you stop the people who are sharing it in the first place then no one physically CAN download it.

Technically, YES, you can get into trouble just for having it. You did not pay for the rights to listen to that song (no one did) thus you are pirating the music. However, the RIAA is mostly after the people putting these albums out, and are much less interested in those that simply have them. In a situation like this, they are more interested in damage control than punitive compensation.
I wasn't aware that so many albums were leaking just recently, I know they have had something of an ongoing problem with songs getting out from some of the labels, but it sounds like they need to pay more attention to what's inside their own house for once than looking on the internet. Once it's on the internet, there is no taking it back; have to prevent it from getting there in the first place.

IMO, the only real way to stop leaks is to not GIVE out advance copys, but rather stream them on a secure website that expires after like 5 listens to the music, or something like that. Giving out thousands of physical CDs is just begging for a leak.

even that way doesnt guarantee that it wont leak. there are freeware programs one could download that records whatever is played on the computer. so if one were to press record on the freeware, go to the site and play it, it would record.

unless that secure site prevents any other programs to be run or used while it's up. i dunno. im no technological expert. i barely know what's on the surface when it comes to that crap. i know enough to get by.

nwo i dont know how the open door was leaked, but it did happen right before the london show today and they played the cd there so that copy may have been the one that went around. who knows? just speculation.

Just my two cents... (and this might apply to more than one thread in this genre)

Patience makes the world a pretty place. Unfortunately, patience isn't as well practiced as it once was. Why exploit downloads to get ahead?

Old fashioned anticipation is part of the excitement of a new album.