No Rock And Roll Fun

BUCKLES AND BOWS: The RIAA has announced a new high-profile signing, with the appointment of Bradley Buckles, director of the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, as the new head of the RIAA's anti-piracy unit. Clearly, the accusations of being a bit heavy-handed and slightly muddled levelled at the music industy's cartel have stung, and they've now decided to become totally heavy-handed and utterly muddled, if Buckle's past record is anything to go by.

Take, for example, the case of Unintended Consequences, a work of fiction by investment broker and former Democratic candidate John Ross. It seems that Buckles' ATF was a bit pissed with the story, which featured the bureau, and oddly, according to Ross' attorney, people selling the book in three different states received a "visit" from ATF reps suggesting that to continue to offer the title for sale might result in "problems." Even more strangely, Mrs. Ross, at the time amicably separated from her husband, was approached by men waving ATF ID cards trying to dig for dirt.

Meanwhile, the hideous botch-up of the lawsuits against music fans should be familar territory to Buckles, whose agency screwed up attempts to tighten-up change of ownership rules for gunowners. Now, we're half feeling that anyone who the NRA hates can't be all bad, but even so... it's not the best of signs.