MEDIA MANAGEMENT 101: THE RIAA FLUNKS

So, we've established that their expensive court actions actually promote filesharing rather than discourage it; but what of the public relations angle of the RIAA lawsuits? Surely they're at least making clear that the labels are taking this all seriously? Isn't that making them look like great civic leaders? Or does the prospect of three single mothers standing up to them leave the big labels about to face a PR disaster?

Take, for example, the EMI-Warners-Sony-BMG-Universal action against Tanya Andersen. The labels would hope this would go smoothly - frit at the prospect of having to pay hundreds of thousands, Andersen is meant to fold, make a still-hefty payment and be added to the numbers of re-educated citizens that the RIAA is building up, one harddrive at a time. But Andersen refuses to toe the line:

"If somehow this activity was to somehow been pinned to me, it was somehow done so fraudulently," she says. "There is no way it came from my household.

"I have the least expensive computer system you can buy from Dell. The type you order off television for $499.00. It was purchased in the summer of 2002 and has the smallest hard drive they make. I have no cd writer on it and the cd-rom that I do have, does not even work correctly.

"I live alone with my 8-year-old daughter (who would have been seven at the time the alleged occurrence took place). I am a single mom who is disabled and unable to work. I live on Social Security disability and struggle to support my daughter and myself. If I am put in a position where I need to defend myself regarding this situation, it would create extreme financial hardship on me. I have no money and did not do what is being said. I also must admit that all this stuff that has been occurring with this whole ordeal has triggered my medical condition to flare lately.

"I have always been against music downloading. In fact, I have been a member of BMG's music club for quite some time and I purchase my music either from there or from Target. When I first got my computer set up almost three years ago, I had a friend set it up for me since I did not know how to do it. She had put Kaaza Lite on there and told me what it was. I never used it and had no interest in doing so. I deleted it since I had no use for it. Even though I deleted it correctly, as is recommended by Microsoft, Mr. Eilers has told me it can hide out in my system and play without me knowing about it. I have done a total check
of my computer and it is no where on there.

"These files you are speaking accusing me of sharing (which Mr. Eiler told me about), are not and never have been on my computer system. Several of those artists, I have never even heard of! One, I understand, is a rap song. I am 42-years-old and do not even like rap music. The login that this person who did this apparently used, which Mr. Eiler told me of, is not a login name I have ever used or heard of.

"There is no one at my household who could have done what is being said at all. Mr. Eiler had brought up the fact that maybe a babysitter could have done it and that is impossible because I seldom have a sitter since I can't afford to pay one and am usually home."

Suing articulate single-parents on disability benefits might seem to be an odd way to try and prove what a good corporate citizen you are - but then, this is the industry which attempted to counter the image of Michael Jackson as being a messiah-complexed buffoon by floating a giant statue of him up the Thames, so we're sure they have a plan.

Next week: Little Orphan Annie is dragged into court and forced to sell her dog for whistling an old showtune.

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