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

I warned you that this would happen. If you want to avoid a lawsuit you had better stop posting in this thread.

Notification of Musical Argument Claims
We are counsel to a group of companies that intend to file a lawsuit against you shortly for musical argument in The Argumentative Git thread. Our clients include the following record companies and their labels and subsidiaries: BMG Music; EMI Music North America; Sony Music Entertainment Inc.; Warner Music Group Inc.; UMG Recordings, Inc.; and Univision Music Group.

We have gathered substantial evidence that you have been using an internet forum such as that run by Larian Studios to argue about music owned by our clients. We are writing in advance of filing suit against you in the event that you have an interest in resolving these claims through settlement.

The record companies take PvP vile sharing very seriously, and for good reason.
PvP vile sharing is not a victimless crime. People spend countless hours working hard to create music – not just recording artists and songwriters, but also session players, backup singers, sound engineers and other technicians. In addition, the music industry employs thousands of other people, such as CD-plant workers, warehouse personnel, record store clerks, and developers of legitimate online music services. They all depend on the sale of recordings to earn a living. So do record companies, which routinely invest millions of dollars to discover and sign promising artists, and then to produce and market their recordings. The playing of "air guitar" or encouraging said practice in your post clearly infringes upon the ability of the music industry to produce financially viable products.

In addition, remarks like "theater should be forbidden," have prompted us to contact the MPAA who will also be joining us in our lawsuit.

Arguing about the music eats away at the investment dollars available to fund new music and, in effect, erodes the future of music In the end, the music suffers, along with everyone who cares about it – from the people who make it to the consumers who enjoy it.

Although we want you to appreciate the harm that musical argument causes, the purpose of this notice is to provide you with the opportunity to resolve this matter and avoid being sued. In deciding whether you wish to discuss settlement, here are some things we believe you should consider:

• Arguing for the invasion of Eastern Europe because of their musical taste constitutes inflammatory neo-nazi rhetoric which is severely punishable, carrying not only civil, but criminal penalties as well.

• Naming a third party such as a family member to justify the possession of legitimate copies of CDs does not absolve you of responsibility in this matter.

• If you choose not to settle the case, you must file a response to the complaint. Failure to respond to the complaint can result in a default judgment being entered against you. That default will include the entry of a monetary judgment and an injunction.

• Now that you are aware that a lawsuit may be filed against you, there is an obligation for you to preserve evidence that relates to the claims against you. In this case, that means, at a minimum, the entire record of all posts that you have made at the Larian Studios as well as any posts you have made at other forums need to be maintained as evidence. The evidence necessary for the record companies to prevail in this action has already been secured. Nevertheless, any destruction of evidence would be a serious matter.

If you have an interest in pursuing settlement discussions to avoid litigation or have other concerns you would like to discuss, you or your attorney may contact us with your potatoes at our corporate headquarters.

If you are under 18, your attorney (or your parent or other guardian) must be present during any discussions. We will assume you are not interested in settlement and proceed to litigation if we do not hear from you within ten (10) calendar days from the date of this letter. We encourage you to consult with an attorney immediately to advise you on your rights
and responsibilities.