WASHINGTON (Billboard) - The Recording Industry Assn. of America plans to announce an amnesty program this week that will let noncommercial online copyright infringers off the hook if they remove all illegal music files from their computers.
Sources tell Billboard that the amnesty program would apply only to alleged infringers who have not yet been sued by the RIAA or identified by Internet service providers as a result of the RIAA's subpoena process. Those deemed for-profit commercial pirates cannot participate in the amnesty.
Additionally, RIAA amnesty applies solely to sound-recording infringement. The file sharer still could be held liable for infringing upon the underlying music composition.
The RIAA would not comment on the proposed program.
Sources say the RIAA will not pursue legal action if all unauthorized music files are deleted from the copyright infringer's computer. The infringer must also destroy all copies of the material in any format, including CDRs, and promise not to upload such material in the future.
Each household member who is an infringer would have to fill out an amnesty form, have it notarized and mail it to the RIAA with a copy of a photo ID.
Those who renege on their promise could be referred to the Department of Justice for willful copyright infringement.
The RIAA plans to announce the amnesty program, which will be posted on the Web site of the music industry antipiracy coalition musicunited.org, at about the same time it is expected to announce the filing of "several hundred" lawsuits this week.
The trade group, using a subpoena process authorized by the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, requested and received the names and addresses of more than 900 alleged infringers.
