The legal actions taken by the record companies have been effective in educating the American public that illegal file sharing of copyrighted material has significant consequences. RIAA President Cary Sherman said. "Consumers are increasingly attracted to the host of compelling legal online music alternatives. These lawsuits help to foster an environment that provides a level playing field for these services to succeed." But critics of the RIAA say the lawsuits haven't been effective. "There's been no indication that the campaign has led to any decrease in file sharing, so if that's the goal of the RIAA, then they don't appear to be having the effect they want," said Jason Schultz, an attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "In the meantime, more American families have to deal with lawsuits invading their lives.

The No Electronic Theft (NET) Act makes it a felony to willfully distribute copyrighted material (software, music, literature) electronically even if the person is not profit

Some topics in this essay:
NET Act, Moropheous RIAA, Sherman Consumers, Sherman Online, Audio Layer, Napster Hundreds, Association America, Mp3 Format, Tittle Internet, San Francisco, file sharing, copyrighted material, mp3 format, $2500 violator imprisoned, $2500 violator, retail value, individual downloader’s, record labels, imprisoned fined, music files, violator imprisoned, violator imprisoned fined,