"The record industry has suffered enormously due to piracy. That includes thousands of layoffs. We must protect our rights. Nothing in a filing full of recycled charges that have gone nowhere in the past changes that fact."

That's what the Big 4 Organized Music cartel's RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) had to say following what The Journal News calls Bobby Santangelo's, "blistering response to the companies' lawsuit" against him.

Originally reported by p2pnet yesterday, his detailed answer to Big 4 allegations has now been picked up around the world, to the intense embarrassment of Warner Music (US), EMI (Britain), Vivendi Universal (France) and Sony BMG (Japan and Germany), the multi-billion-dollar record labels who are trying to claim they're being "devastated" by file sharers, a claim flatly put down by major mainstream musicians including Canada's Avril Lavigne, Sarah McLachlan, Bare Naked Ladies and BTO's Randy Bachman.

And contrary to the RIAA's "recycled charges" assertion, recycling worn-out claims being something it does well and often, staggering blunder made by Edgar Bronfman, the Canadian who heads cartel member Warner Music, just before Christmas last year.

During an interview, "We asked Edgar Bronfman (right), the head of the world's fourth largest music company, at the Reuters Summit whether any of his seven kids stole music," said Reuters, and, "I’m fairly certain that they have, and I’m fairly certain that they've suffered the consequences," Bronfman stated, going on:

"I explained to them what I believe is right, that the principle is that stealing music is stealing music. Frankly, right is right and wrong is wrong, particularly when a parent is talking to a child. A bright line around moral responsibility is very important. I can assure you they no longer do that."

What did he do to them? - asked Reuters. "I think I’ll keep that within the family."

Why, ask Santangelo's lawyers, Sharon Thompson and Jordan Glass, wasn't the same remedy, a stern lecture about right and wrong and the "bright line around moral responsibility," offered to Bobby, who was only 12 when the attack started?

Instead, he and his sister, Michelle, who's been ordered to pay $30,750 in a default judgment, are being publicly humiliated.

Santangelo also says Warner, et al, "promoted downloading free music, and then ... once having already enticed and encouraged children and teenagers to download music for free, turned on their audience and sued them for the same behavior they had previously encouraged".

Meanwhile, Bobby is the son of Patti Santangelo, 42, who was sued by the Big 4, but steadfastly refused to give in to extortionate 'pay up or else' demands. Instead, she, "took her case public and became a heroine to supporters of Internet freedom," says The Journal News.

The RIAA backed out in December, turning on Bobby and Michelle, now 20.

The supporters mentioned in The Journal News and other stories on- and offline were, and still are, p2pnet readers who by 11:50 PST had donated $14,643.87.

Yesterday, "We finally got to say the things in a legal document that we've been trying to say all along," Patti told p2pnet. "I hope this gets the message across on behalf of everyone who has been supportive of what we've been trying to do. In particular, I hope the RIAA gets the message that we are not going away: we are in this for the duration."

And, "I want to thank everyone for sticking by me and my family. I wouldn't have been able to do this without them," said Bobby, adding, "now it's my turn to fight and, with my mom's help to stick up for teenagers everywhere, that's what I'm going to do."

Please click the button below if you'd like to donate a dollar or two to help the Santangelos continue their battle against Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG. And go here to see the latest contribution amounts, all of which are going towards costs, not lawyer fees.

Jon Newton -

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Also See:
The Journal News - Soccer mom's son fires back against record companies, January 31, 2007
detailed answer - Bobby Santangelo to the RIAA, January 30, 2007
flatly put down - Canada music download record, January 31, 2007
staggering blunder - WMG boss' kids 'stole music', December 4, 2007
backed out - RIAA drops Santangelo p2p case, December 19, 2006