RIAA files another 531 lawsuits

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has filed another 531 lawsuits against individuals, alleging copyright infringements.

RIAA described it as being part of continuing the enforcement component of its campaign to “provide a level playing field for legal online music services”, in an RIAA statement.

The lawsuits were being filed against what were referred to as 'John Does' -- an individual only known by their Internet Protocol (IP) address.

Five lawsuits using this process have been filed this week, RIAA said. These have been filed in US federal courts in Philadelphia, Atlanta, Orlando, Trenton, and New Jersey.

“We are sending a clear message that downloading or sharing music from a peer-to-peer network without authorisation is illegal,” said Cary Sherman, RIAA president. “It can have consequences and it undermines the creative future of music itself.”

This latest round of lawsuits from RIAA followed the organisation filing 532 lawsuits against John Doe defendants in January.