Larian Studios Forums General Chat Chat (Anything) The Argumentative Git thread

The music industry will begin a promised wave of lawsuits on Monday, suing all those who post in the The Argumentative Git thread and discuss music.

The suits will be filed in jurisdictions around the world. The Recording Industry Association of America said it did not know anything about the people it has targeted other than their membership at the Larian Forum.

The only criterion for the suits was "the illegal discussion and argument about music," said Cary Sherman, president of the RIAA, the music trade group that represents the five major music labels: Universal Music Group, Sony Music, BMG, EMI and Warner Music.

The RIAA also formally announced an amnesty program that would give peace of mind to forum members who voluntarily come forward and admit their wrongdoing.

The music industry blames "arguments about music" on the Larian forum for its three-year decline in CD sales.

Sherman said the RIAA is suing posters in the The Argumentative Git thread in hopes of cutting off all forum discussions.


Sherman emphasized that the trade group is open to settling with those who have been sued. Amounts will be determined on a case-by-case basis.

The RIAA has been working with colleges and universities to combat the problem, and the group contacted sharers directly in an private-message campaign to alert them that arguing about music is illegal.

The money collected from the forum members will fund the ongoing education and enforcement campaign, Sherman said.

Sherman confirmed that subpoenas seeking the identities of more than 17 people had been issued. He said more lawsuits are on the way, but they will not be announced publicly in the same manner as this first wave of litigation.

Artists are supportive of the need to address the problem, Sherman said, though he did not name any musician in particular.

Hugh Presswood, a country music songwriter, said that many artists are reluctant to speak out in public against musical debate for fear of alienating their fans.

Music lovers who want assurance that they will not be the target of a lawsuit are invited to sign up for the RIAA's amnesty program. To qualify, the repentant forum member must sign an agreement promising to delete any posts they have made in The Argumentative Git thread and swear never to do it again. Those who choose to do this are assured that they will not be sued by the RIAA.

Sherman said the program would be an honor system, and those who come forward will not be regularly monitored and their personal information will be kept private.

People are not required to remove bookmarks or links to The Argumentative Git thread to be eligible for the amnesty program, but Sherman said it is the best way to ensure that they do not inadvertently post again. Those whose information has already been subpoenaed are not eligible for the amnesty program.

Anyone found in violation of the amnesty agreement would be liable for a higher amount of damages, Sherman said.