RIAA Wins Worst Company In America 2007 306
An anonymous reader writes "After 15 punishing rounds of combat involving 32 of America's most hated companies, 100,000 voters have spoken: More hated than Halliburton, more despised than Walmart, the RIAA has defeated all comers to become the Worst Company in America 2007."
Since when is the RIAA a company? (Score:5, Insightful)
Results may already be dated. (Score:4, Insightful)
stolen music vs corruption (Score:1, Insightful)
This isn't a win for us (Score:5, Insightful)
So don't call this a victory for us! This is a victory for the record companies, because it shows that they have successfully redirected your wrath to a "company" (I don't know why the summary uses that word) that doesn't have a product, and could care less that you don't like them.
Trade Group Not Company (Score:5, Insightful)
How Sad (Score:4, Insightful)
I would have voted for the US Government (Score:1, Insightful)
What a load of crock. (Score:5, Insightful)
Comcast or Verizon or Microsoft could easily have won against the RIAA, given the appropriate competition on the big board. But, hahaha, to figure out who the "worst company" was they pitted the RIAA against United Airlines, U-Haul, Exxon, and Halliburton. Halliburton is the only one that was any challenge at all. Change the board around - make it RIAA against Microsoft, RIAA against Comcast, and you'll see different results.
Furthermore, the RIAA v. Halliburton... so funny... RIAA takes money away close to home, Halliburton kills everyone in the rest of the world - but who is hated more? America, you fail. Rot in hell.
Re:This isn't a win for us (Score:4, Insightful)
It's "most hated" not "most evil" (Score:5, Insightful)
No, they're not "just" trying to do that. They've manipulated the law to their own ends and complain whenever people decry that as unfair. They sue innocent people, attempting to ruin their lives. And if they do find out that someone's innocent, they use discovery to invade the innocent person's life, looking to find the real infringer. Which might well be them, after they have MediaSentry flood the P2P networks with bogus files and bogus search data (including the very searches they use to find "infringers"!) And if you insist upon corruption, just what do you call payola? Are bribes not considered corruption these days, or what?
Now, don't get me wrong--Halliburton isn't exactly some nice company, either. But this is "most hated" not "most evil" and the RIAA has gotten a lot more press lately.
But please, don't say they're "just" trying to protect their "property" because there's no way in hell I'll buy that lame excuse.
Re:Trade Group Not Company (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:What a load of crock. (Score:3, Insightful)
That's why in any bracket they always put the #1 ranked team against the #16 ranked team. (and #2 against #15...and so on, so the only "real" competition happens in the middle.)
Check out your nearby Final Four bracket and check how they're grouped. I think you'll be pleasently disappointed.
Re:stolen music vs corruption (Score:5, Insightful)
The problem is that the RIAA is now playing the game against regular people who don't have wads of cash to throw at this. They aren't playing the game fair.
I think this is why the RIAA is easily comparable to a bully--they aren't picking on someone their own size.
Re:Since when is the RIAA a company? (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:This isn't a win for us (Score:3, Insightful)
Nonsense. The RIAA was formed in 1952 to do things like establishing standards for phonographs. Until recently the general public had never heard of it.
Re:RIAA != company (Score:3, Insightful)
Last time I checked, it was a trade group, and the record companies themselves are members of this group.
Most of the dorks and geeks that hate the RIAA are to stupid to understand this subtle point. The dweebs that voted the RIAA worst company are also the same group of people who would vote BSA (Business Software Alliance), IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), and ISO (International Organization for Standardization) as terrible "companies" as well.
Re:stolen music vs corruption (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:How Sad (Score:1, Insightful)
Re:Since when is the RIAA a company? (Score:5, Insightful)
* their lobbying efforts alone make their non-profit status pretty hard to justify under 501(c)(3)
Comment removed (Score:3, Insightful)
Sad poll (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:This isn't a win for us (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:stolen music vs corruption (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:stolen music vs corruption (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Sad poll (Score:2, Insightful)
First of all, let me be perfectly clear: I think the issues you listed are critical, expecially global warming, and I am dismayed at how efficiently the various interest groups managed to obfuscate this critical emergency.
I would like to bring to your attention that the problem with RIAA is that they have sued, using their almost infinite warchest of money and lawyers, people that have very little means, and have been often completely innocent, but had to settle out of court, because of RIAAs judicial muscle. Basically, RIAA just picked random people and twisted their arms. I think there is something very viscerally hateful in that.
Again, I don't disagree that there are more important issues, but what fired up people is not only their inability to copy music.
They won't - the RIAA won (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:stolen music vs corruption (Score:5, Insightful)
We really should listen the Founders more often.
Re:comcast (Score:3, Insightful)
It isn't even an original one. IIRC airlines started with the idea of deliberatly overbooking flights some thirty odd years ago, turn up "too late" and you don't get a seat. More recently some hotel chains have been caught taking bookings for more rooms than they actually have. Even including sending people round to other hotels in the chain.
Same business model; the only difference is if you are hiring a seat on an aircraft, a room to sleep in or a truck/van.
Re:Sad poll (Score:3, Insightful)
Good luck fighting the Halliburtons of the world when you aren't allowed to learn about them anymore because all information is locked down on a "need to know" basis via nth-gen DRM, and even if you do manage to learn something, you aren't allowed to discuss it without facing felony charges because the other party didn't pay for a license. How about getting your priorities straight?
Re:They won't - the RIAA won (Score:2, Insightful)
This is the way they want it. The friendly music industry going hardline, for the benefit of those poor artists, against the scum on that Internet-thingy stealing their work. If the RIAA were to look bad to the public in general, it would just look bad for the music industry in general. People wouldn't trust the RIAA, the members, and probably even independent labels. i.e. anyone connected with the music industry.
Re:Results may already be dated. (Score:3, Insightful)
Ugg (Score:1, Insightful)
Sure they wrecked the economy and environment of 10+ other countries, but what about my mp3s!!!!!!!
Monsanto (Score:3, Insightful)