New SC Lawsuits Hit Ohio - CAVS & HD Sellers Named & Dan Sterns Raided By FBI

W

Wall Of Sound

Expert Talker
PF Member
First the Ohio Filing:

http://dockets.justia.com/docket/court-ohndce/case_no-1:2010cv00990/case_id-165800/

Next, the statement Kurt Slep gave me:

"Now that Karaoke Kandy Store has been served with a lawsuit for
illegally loading our song content onto CAVS players and hard drives,
feel free to also make public the news that Bill Beane aka Dan Stearns
of Ebay and Craigs List fame, probably the most prolific poster of
illegal drives on Craig's List has been raided by the FBI and they are
awaiting a review of all evidence to decide which specific charges will
be pressed, since he has obviously violated so many of them, including
of course, income tax evasion."

It's nice to see that the FBI has been taking actions....

Stay tuned, more info to follow!

PS: Thank you Kurt for the scoop!
 
Here Are The Documents

Kurt mentioned to me that any commentary should remain to the facts in the documents in this message to me:

"Any mention of either case in press releases, chat rooms, etc. should
stick with the facts as mentioned in either the Search Warrant or
lawsuit filing, but a little speculation about how much easier and
faster it will be for manufacturers to press a case against pirates once
they get access to the sales and shipping records of both pirates might
put a little more buzz and fear in the market place."

http://psycho-attitude-productions.com/SC/SC_Ohio_Complaint.pdf

http://psycho-attitude-productions.com/SC/WARRANT_Bill_Bene_Dan_Stern.pdf
 
Those FBI guys are falsely accusing people and bringing charges without any investigation and when Dan Stearns is exonerated and he brings a libel suit against the FBI those boys are gonna pay big time. Their total lack of investigation has sullied the reputation of good honest pirates!

Joe,

I figured I would save your fingers and type that out for you!~:sqlaugh::sqlaugh::sqlaugh:
 
Oh come on, now boys. You know that federal intervention is exactly what Joe has been calling for. Must we start so early? There are so many more valid things that we could pile on Joe for. I hate to waste it on something that doesn't ring true. :sqconfused::sqlaugh:

Anyway, it looks like SC is actually trying to put a dent in this situation.
 
Wall Of Sound said:
Kurt mentioned to me that any commentary should remain to the facts in the documents in this message to me:

"Any mention of either case in press releases, chat rooms, etc. should
stick with the facts as mentioned in either the Search Warrant or
lawsuit filing, but a little speculation about how much easier and
faster it will be for manufacturers to press a case against pirates once
they get access to the sales and shipping records of both pirates might
put a little more buzz and fear in the market place."
Click to expand...


To me, that one line says it all -- put buzz and fear into the marketplace. :sqerr:

I'd bet a dollar to a donut, that these fear tactics are gonna backfire on SC... ;)
 
Wall Of Sound said:
Kurt mentioned to me that any commentary should remain to the facts in the documents in this message to me:

"Any mention of either case in press releases, chat rooms, etc. should
stick with the facts as mentioned in either the Search Warrant or
lawsuit filing, but a little speculation about how much easier and
faster it will be for manufacturers to press a case against pirates once
they get access to the sales and shipping records of both pirates might
put a little more buzz and fear in the market place."

http://psycho-attitude-productions.com/SC/SC_Ohio_Complaint.pdf

http://psycho-attitude-productions.com/SC/WARRANT_Bill_Bene_Dan_Stern.pdf
Click to expand...


the only part of the first one that causes me concern is the following paragraph

"21. Slep-Tone only sells its recordings in CD+G format. Slep-Tone authorizes
its customers to “format shift” and transfer the contents of a genuine SOUND CHOICE
CD+G recording to a single computer or MP3 player, provided that the customer keeps
the original copy of the CD+G in his possession as an archival copy that is not used."


Didn't Kurt spend a whole lot of time and energy explaining why they weren't allowed to do this?

But as i frequently point out, I'm not a lawyer, maybe it means something else in reference to their suit.. *shrug*

I also find it kind of interesting that the conclusion is called a "prayer for relief" :)
 
SoftJock Rick said:
To me, that one line says it all -- put buzz and fear into the marketplace. :sqerr:

I'd bet a dollar to a donut, that these fear tactics are gonna backfire on SC... ;)
Click to expand...

The marketplace consists of mostly pirates.... So I hope the criminal scum in the marketplace are so scared that their adenaline glands are working overtime!

Also for everyone who suggested, on many of the chat boards across the internet that deal with the karaoke world, about going after the source, well here it is.... The BIG FISH, Dan Stern (Bill Bene)...

After the Dan Stern (Bill Bene) siezed documents have been inventoried by the FBI, I hope they find every customer he ever sold to & begin to approach them. Buying & possessing stolen property isn't exactly legal. Now the criminal courts may be involved. I hope the criminal karaoke scum have lost their bowel control over this!

Bravo Sound Choice & the FBI! :sqbiggrin:
 
Thunder said:
Those FBI guys are falsely accusing people and bringing charges without any investigation and when Dan Stearns is exonerated and he brings a libel suit against the FBI those boys are gonna pay big time. Their total lack of investigation has sullied the reputation of good honest pirates!

Joe,

I figured I would save your fingers and type that out for you!~:sqlaugh::sqlaugh::sqlaugh:
Click to expand...

And wrong again, Steve. If a major distributor of HDs is busted, and the FBI is involved, I'm as happy as you are. The FBI wouldn't be involved unless there was some concrete evidence, which is not the same as a witch hunt. The FBI isn't involved to bring income, it's there to catch the bad guy.

Apparently you missed the "zillions" of posts I made expressing my hopes that a goverment agency WOULD get involved.

Also, if Kurt was the one to bring them in, I applaud his efforts as well! This IS a way to slow down piracy- cut off supply at it's source. I think it may be too late, but it's still a "dent-maker".


You were saying, Steve?......:sqrolleyes::sqcool: Were you hoping to re-instigate in a new thread? :sqwink:
 
Joe,

I know you have always said you wanted a Goverment agency to be created to investigate the karaoke violations, I always said there already was one, without the Investigations and Lawsuits that Sound Choice has instigated the FBI would have never become involved.

So yes you need to give a big round of Applause to Kurt!:sqbiggrin:
 
JoeChartreuse said:
The FBI isn't involved to bring income,
Click to expand...

A little tongue & cheek here Joe...

The FBI will certainly help the IRS with Dan Stern's (Bene) little tax evasion schemes!:sqlaugh:

A nice chunk of change for this bankrupt government, yeah?
 
Thunder said:
Joe,

I know you have always said you wanted a Goverment agency to be created to investigate the karaoke violations, I always said there already was one, without the Investigations and Lawsuits that Sound Choice has instigated the FBI would have never become involved.

So yes you need to give a big round of Applause to Kurt!:sqbiggrin:
Click to expand...

While I have already given a round of applause to Kurt, it is only THIS investigation which led to THIS bust- AND the FBI was involved- no guessing. The other stuff had nothing to do with it.

Here we go......:sqrolleyes:

BTW- From your post above: "I know you have always said you wanted a Goverment agency to be created to investigate the karaoke violations,..."

If that's the case, how come, in the reply that you THOUGHT I'd give, you gave the imression that I would be against ? Again, are you attempting to heat up another debate? We could do it through PM and spare the rest of these folks our ranting....
 
JoeChartreuse said:
While I have already given a round of applause to Kurt, it is only THIS investigation which led to THIS bust- AND the FBI was involved- no guessing. The other stuff had nothing to do with it.

Here we go......:sqrolleyes:

BTW- From your post above: "I know you have always said you wanted a Goverment agency to be created to investigate the karaoke violations,..."

If that's the case, how come, in the reply that you THOUGHT I'd give, you gave the imression that I would be against ? Again, are you attempting to heat up another debate? We could do it through PM and spare the rest of these folks our ranting....[/QUOTE]

Now where would the fun be in that?:sqwink:

Joe,

My first post was "TIC" the second one was not! The FBI did not suddenly decide to investigate and bust Mr. Stearn on their own, it was in direct coordination with Sound Choice and their efforts, to think anything else would be foolish.
Click to expand...
 
"Thunder said:
JoeChartreuse said:
While I have already given a round of applause to Kurt, it is only THIS investigation which led to THIS bust- AND the FBI was involved- no guessing. The other stuff had nothing to do with it.

Here we go......:sqrolleyes:

BTW- From your post above: "I know you have always said you wanted a Goverment agency to be created to investigate the karaoke violations,..."

If that's the case, how come, in the reply that you THOUGHT I'd give, you gave the imression that I would be against ? Again, are you attempting to heat up another debate? We could do it through PM and spare the rest of these folks our ranting....[/QUOTE]

1) Now where would the fun be in that?:sqwink:

Joe,

2) My first post was "TIC" the second one was not! The FBI did not suddenly decide to investigate and bust Mr. Stearn on their own, it was in direct coordination with Sound Choice and their efforts, to think anything else would be foolish.
Click to expand...

1) It's past being a matter of "fun". This should be about serious information.

2) I have no idea what "TIC" means.

3) I already agreed that Kurt Did the deed in bringing in the FBI ON THIS CASE. YOU said all of the previous "investigations" had something to do with it, which wasn't the case. To repeat, ONLY this investigation, into THIS distributor, by SC, had anything to do with it. The KJ witch hunt did not.
Click to expand...
 
Wall Of Sound said:
A little tongue & cheek here Joe...

The FBI will certainly help the IRS with Dan Stern's (Bene) little tax evasion schemes!:sqlaugh:

A nice chunk of change for this bankrupt government, yeah?
Click to expand...

Right you are, Wall, unless he has the bucks hidden. Then jail time anyway..:sqcool:
 
JoeChartreuse said:
To repeat, ONLY this investigation, into THIS distributor, by SC, had anything to do with it. The KJ witch hunt did not.
Click to expand...

Things like this are built upon blocks. I would imagine that previous "KJ witch hunts" as you pot it, uncovered direct evidence that this company provided this service. The evidence collected in those cases allowed the FBI to be involved in this case...and go after a major supplier.

Sometimes you have to go around the monopoly board before you get to pass go.
 
VJ Justin Allen said:
Things like this are built upon blocks. I would imagine that previous "KJ witch hunts" as you pot it, uncovered direct evidence that this company provided this service. The evidence collected in those cases allowed the FBI to be involved in this case...and go after a major supplier.

Sometimes you have to go around the monopoly board before you get to pass go.
Click to expand...

He has a point, Joe.

SC: "You haz illegal HD! Where it come from?"

Pirate: "Oh Noes! I iz busted! Dan Stearn sold it to me! I can haz settlement?"
 
Rogerniner said:
He has a point, Joe.

SC: "You haz illegal HD! Where it come from?"

Pirate: "Oh Noes! I iz busted! Dan Stearn sold it to me! I can haz settlement?"
Click to expand...


While I agree that any investigation is built on blocks, this type of investigation has nothing under it from the KJ dragnet. It is a completely different kettle of fish. One is about a KJ working in a venue ( even though it's with the end product), while the other is a big money piracy and distribution network,

This isn't like illicit drugs, where one might find their way to "Mr. Big" through the user, then low level dealer, then distributor, etc. The internet HD distributor is right out there in the open. I'm disc based, yet every time I go looking for a song/disc on line, these pirate sites pop up, some even as sponsored sites. "Mr. Big" can be found and traced in minutes, with no help from the KJ dragnet. As a matter of fact, many of the real pirate KJs would be harder to find then the big distributor.

As a matter of fact, using the distributors records would be a good way to gather concrete evidence BEFORE going after a KJ, eliminating erroneous lawsuits. THAT would be a plus. Kind of like reversing the illicit drug example. Of course, this means he should have gone after the HD distributors FIRST.

As happy as I am that Kurt found this guy, got the FBI involved, and got him busted- I don't see any connection to the dragnet, except if he uses the suggestion above for future suits.
 
Would it kill you to admit that the SC " witch hunt" that you crusade about has caught LOTS of witches?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top