[Scott Dorsey]

bill wrote:

Okay I looked it up. I was close. They are concerned with the protection of
intellectual property.

That's actually a small part of what the RIAA does. Aside from being a
lobbying group, they still are a standards body and they still help provide
some cross-pollination between record labels.

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is the trade group that
represents the U.S. recording industry. Its mission is to foster a business
and legal climate that supports and promotes our members' creative and
financial vitality. Its members are the record companies that comprise the
most vibrant national music industry in the world. RIAA members create,
manufacture and/or distribute approximately 90% of all legitimate sound
recordings produced and sold in the United States.

Yes, and this includes everything from BMG to Aardvark Records... everything
from major labels to basement operations.

In support of this mission, the RIAA works to protect intellectual property
rights worldwide and the First Amendment rights of artists; conducts
consumer, industry and technical research; and monitors and reviews state
and federal laws, regulations and policies. The RIAA® also certifies Gold®,
Platinum®, Multi-PlatinumT, and Diamond sales awards, as well as Los Premios
De Oro y PlatinoT, an award celebrating Latin music sales.

This is true, but this is really only a small part of what the RIAA does,
although these days it's getting a lot more publicity than maintaing the
standard LP equalization curves, for instance.

It is NOT a governmental entity, and in fact it's often at loggerheads
with the government.
--scott
--
"C'est un Nagra. C'est suisse, et tres, tres precis."