When Does the RIAA Madness End? When CDs Are Finally Dead?

Just when you think the Recording Industry Association of America couldn't get any loonier, along comes the Washington Post to tell us about an Arizona lawsuit in which RIAA argues that you cannot legally purchase a CD, convert the files into MP3 or FLAC, and store those files on your computer. Excuse me? That is the default way of listening to music these days, unless the purchaser buys files from iTunes and stores them directly, bypassing CDs altogether. The case against Jeffrey Howell of Scottsdale, Ariz. seems to suggest that RIAA wants this to happen.

They'll probably get their death wish soon enough. Variety magazine online reported that holiday sales of CDs were down a whopping 21 percent from a year ago, indicating the death of a format. And with lawsuits like the RIAA/Howell one, that death will be hastened exponentially.