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When the Washington Post picked up this idea -- that the RIAA was going after mere ripping of CDs -- the blogosphere exploded with backlash as blog after blog repeated the claim. A few blogs looked a little more deeply, however. LaShawn Barber wrote: "If you clear away the smoke and ignore the underreported Washington Post story, it becomes obvious that the defendant is being sued for illegal file sharing, not for ripping CDs."
Bloggers Correct the Damage
Barber went so far as to contact Post reporter Fisher, who repeated his understanding that the RIAA "makes the case that the act of transferring music from a legally purchased CD is in and of itself illegal, even if the file is not being shared." In an editor's note, the Recording Industry v. The People blog acknowledged perspectives like Barber's but concluded, "I do not think their interpretation holds water."
While the Post reporting was "disappointing," Goldman said, the ongoing discussion of the issue shows the inherent strength of the new media. In a world without bloggers, readers were dependent on newspapers and networks making corrections on their own. In the modern world, "corrective information can enter the information marketplace," Goldman said.
"The blogosphere has done a wonderful job correcting errors, and this forces bloggers -- and mainstream media as well -- to raise their game or face the corrective blowback. Bloggers and reporters who point out errors are "a sign of a healthy information mechanism, not a failed one," Goldman said.
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