RIAA v. Joel Tenenbaum may become the Cartel's English Channel. As you'd expect, Nesson isn't just trying to defend one student. He's attacking the foundations of the RIAA's entire campaign, as well as the constitutionality of the laws on which it is based. He's filed counterclaims, and is seeking to have the RIAA itself named as a defendant..... But we're still at the very earliest stages yet. My guess is that the RIAA will drop its case against Tenenbaum and attempt to get the counter suit mooted rather than try to defend on the merits.

Let's hope Wexelblat's guess is wrong and the RIAA fights this one to its own extinction. Couldn't happen to a more deserving group of reptiles.

UPDATE: The hearing scheduled for yesterday has been postponed to January 6 because Nesson, a Massachusetts attorney, is not admitted to argue in a Rhode Island court. (You'd think a Harvard lawyer would know that.) The judge also denied a motion prohibiting the RIAA from confiscating Arthur and Judie Tenenbaum's PC. Lovely, no?

Oh, what the heck, let's just vent. Tell me what you think about the RIAA, file swapping, and legal abuse: cringe@infoworld.com. I'll highlight the funniest and/or most venomous ones in a future blog post.