EZTree Shuts Down 497
John3 writes "Easytree.org, a popular Bittorrent tracking site also known as EZT, shut down today after their ISP received threatening letters from attorneys. Unlike sites like Lokitorrent that have been shut down in the past, torrents on EasyTree were usually unreleased live musical performances rather than commercial product. Is a site that shares old Stevie Nicks, Frank Sinatra, and Ian Hunter live shows really that much of a threat to the music industry?"
To be fair... (Score:3, Informative)
To be fair, this site also hosted torrents concerning live shows from a wide variety of artists. From the submitter's offhand comment, this site is portrayed as only hosting older live sets and this is far from the truth. For example, NIN's latest shows (from the currently on going with teeth tour) were bootlegged and releasted on this site.
With that being said, I'm sad to see this site close as its user base was very dedicated to providing high quality live sets from a variety of bands.
Re:Why am I the last to hear? (Score:2, Informative)
Re:live performances vs. commercial product (Score:5, Informative)
It's contorted, but simply put, because of contracts, the artists typically can't record without the permission of the label they're signed with, and the label owns the rights to that version/instance. Now, unless the label's done a recording of the live performance, you're only in violation of the Performance Rights- at which point, it'd be up to the artist(s) to defend their rights.
I'd love to know who actually sent the notice- if it was RIAA, they'd better have standing for dealing with that sort of infringement (i.e. They and their legal counsel can't be threating lawsuits unless they own an agreed upon recording of the concert.). I would dearly love to have someone hand them their kiesters over their overzealous "protection" of the labels' rights.
Re:Okay, but... (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Why am I the last to hear? (Score:5, Informative)
etree.org is like EZtree, except that etree is completely legal. Unfortunately because of this, you won't find very many artists, but there are a few big names. Specifically Phish, the Grateful Dead, Primus, Ben Folds, 311, the Spin Doctors, Jack Johnson, and others.
Re:Naked Emperors (Score:2, Informative)
Re:Why am I the last to hear? (Score:2, Informative)
Content might be legal according to federal judge (Score:5, Informative)
http://jurist.law.pitt.edu/paperchase/2004/09/ant
Yes yes, mod this post way up. The content according to september's ruling may be actually legal.
Re:Yes (Score:2, Informative)
That would be Ian Anderson, who is quite alive and still cranking out rock and roll (and sadly, trolling the liberals).
Ian Hunter is the even wierder guy from Mott the Hoople, last seen touring with Ringo's All-Stars
Yes (Score:1, Informative)
Fist of all, it isn't. Greed is what builds and maintains economies. It's what allows you to afford the high speed connection to take the music you don't want to pay for (in itself a greedy act.) But ultimately, it's not about greed, it's about precedent.
Copyright & Trademark law require the vigorous defence of your property. It's a use it or loose it scenario. They have to go after everybody or nobody. IF they're selective about some claims and not others it opens it up to challenge in court for the stuff that does matter to the holder. It has happened where a judge has basically said 'Too little, too late' regarding companies who let their IP slip.
If you don't fight for it all, then the courts assume that you don't care for it all. And if you don't care for it all, the courts get to decide what you care for. That is bad precedent. That is what this is about.
Re:Permitted live recordings... (Score:4, Informative)
Phish, Dead, String Cheese Incident and others [nugs.net]
Live Music Archive @ Archive.org [archive.org]
These are amazing sites to get that show/song you are looking for, from bands who lived and survived by allowing their fans to tape and trade their shows.
Re:Free thought is a challenge to authority! (Score:2, Informative)
I could ask the same of you.
Orwell was afraid of, and loathed Communism - which seems to be the goal of the FOSS information wants to be free set.
Orwell was afraid of, and loathed, Soviet Communism, also known as Stalinism. Orwell was a socialist himself. I think he would like the FOSS ideas.
Orwell would think the average slashdotter is a douchebag with his head up his ass, and he'd be right to think so.
Well, this may be true, but even in that case, I have three words for you. Pot, kettle, black.
Re:Why am I the last to hear? (Score:3, Informative)
Archive.org's live music section [archive.org]
--Dave
Re:Threat? (Score:5, Informative)
BZZT, wrong. Funny enough that are the same mistakes(!) the RIAA makes.
1. Not all music sold is controlled by the RIAA. To (US) americans it might seem like it, but there are actually big countries, even continents outside the United States. Yes, I know this will probably get this post stamped as flamebait, but it's the simple truth, live with it.
2. There is always the alternative to simply not buy. I find it increasingly funny that this case is always forgotten by so-called economists.
What I'd like to see is for more musicians to realize that this whole P2P business is a win-win situation for them - they can give the fans what they want for little to no cost, and they get non-fans to buy their records (what other businesses call try-before-you-buy). The only losing part here is the record company (and even that can be argued), and that is why the RIAA tries to shut down everybody else.
Oh, and of course the old "because we can".
Re:Yes (Score:5, Informative)
Firstly "pirates" are guys with missing body parts and parrots on their shoulders, and secondly, copyright infringement is not criminal unless it's done for profit.
Re:Permitted live recordings... (Score:2, Informative)
Re:At least etree is still out there (Score:1, Informative)
Not copyrighted before 1973 (Score:1, Informative)
There are state laws in effect to cover recordings before 1973, but those laws don't exist in all states, and in many states, it only applies to for profit redistribution, which means file sharing for recordings before 1973, including records, are legal.
I've yet to see a slashdot post on this. You can look up the information online at the copyright office, and the justice department has a list of state laws to do with IP you can go through.