...almost a second trying to see if I felt sorry for 'em.

Couldn't do it.

The Skull & Crossbones icon because.... well, just because.

Instead of wiping the server, they should have inserted a few famous names. Not too many but enough to seed allegations of whatever.

What a pity.

Never mind.

ROFLCOPTER!!!1

can you fix it so I can download <insert artist> latest ablum from their website free of change

thankyou

I tried, really!

the RIAssA site seems to be working again, but just about every link is to do with copyright, security and parental responsibility. Bugger all about Recording...

of jokes about "Hackers Wipe Ass. Off 'Net". Not a nice image...

@Specificprojects: That'd be fantastic. "Bono declares Spice Girls greatest band ever!" "Britney Spears declares undying love for yodelling" "Bon Jovi lays partner down on bed of roses; sued due to severe lacerations"

Not that there is anything substantial about recordings.

Bunch of lardasses and asshats, the lot of them!

"Instead of wiping the server, they should have inserted a few famous names. Not too many but enough to seed allegations of whatever."

Nice, but I think filling the server to capacity with unauthorised copies of music tracks in the form of DRM-less mp3 format, sharing the drive on the net (or just making the drive root the web root) and then seeding a few search engines would've worked a little more tactlessly. I wonder whether they'd actually go as far as to sue themselves. I have a feeling they probably would, based on past experience.

How about doing something subtle - like inserting a press release stating that their members had decided that, as of the issue date of the press release, they would allow private peer-to-peer sharing of music tracks in mp3 format.

It would at least have made life more difficult for them in the courts!

A big thumbs up to those respsonsible.

Let's hope they don't leave it too long this time till it gets hacked again :)

it is the physical form of the criminal organisation that must be destroy, not the website. RIAA and his sister in crime the MPAA need to be prevented from operating my any means. If the USA does not have the guts to shutdown those 2 openly criminal organisations some else must do it.

The RIAA operate an illegal website. .org domain are for non profit organisation. the RIAA is not... so why is this illegal website (RIAA.ORG) is still allowed to operate illegally?

One of the things that the RIAA is trying to claim is that the Internet is a lawless series of tubes, where piracy and hijacking reign supreme, and that therefore any transfer of music should be tracked, chipped, licensed, tagged and accompanied by security guards with big dogs and CS gas.

This just gives them more ammo. They can point to their website and say: "See! See! Look there! This is what happens if you are a protection^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H legitimate business trying to extort^H^H^H^H^H^H make an honest buck amongst the lefty-commie-pinko-libertarian-lawless-punks on the interweb. Vote for our laws requiring online transfers be tracked, chipped, yada yada, or the same will happen to you!"

Groklaw shows how to do it. Massive, in-your-face, legally unimpeachable spotlight-shining.

.org is not specifically for non-profit organizations (though it is commonly associated with them). The .org gTLD was originally intended for any organization that didn't fit under one of the other categories.

As there is no ".criminals" TLD, .org is the best place for the RIAA at this time.

Mectron said: "The RIAA operate an illegal website. .org domain are for non profit organisation. the RIAA is not... so why is this illegal website (RIAA.ORG) is still allowed to operate illegally?"

First and foremost, .org was never exclusively for non-profit organizations--simply for organizations that did not fit into other categories or TLDs. Secondly, it was not "illegal" as it was not against the law--it was only against IANA/ICANN rules, which are not laws. Thirdly, .org is no longer restricted: anyone can register a .org domain.

If we're going to disagree with people like the RIAA, let's at least do so using facts, not spurious accusations.

Now if these hackers really wanted to do the public a true service , what they should have done instead of taking them down revamp the site to provide a complete list of names addresses all telephone numbers , social security numbers and full banking details of all the senior members and staff at the same time !

Now that would have really fed a very bad dose of rat poison to this den of parasites and vampires who have been feeding off the talented artists and the public at large since the recording industry obtained the ability reproduce music so that it could be heard anywhere outside a concert hall for at least the last one hundred years !

Well that would be highly illegal. They were just having a bit of fun. Nothing illegal about visiting the URL - I expect most of the hits on those URLs were people simply visiting links given to them by friends.

I don't think anyone could get sued or prosecuted over this. Its just too hard to prove malicious intent.

I don't know why everyone feels free to scoff at Scientology. They're no wackier than any other religion. Is the judeochristoislamic invisible-sky-daddy really any weirder or better tempered than Xenu?

I'll get me coat.

"They're no wackier than any other religion."

They are sure all bad enough, but I'd say the Scientologists are even wackier (and specially more corrupt) than those you mentioned -- actually, more than almost anything I've ever heard...

Pic of Xenu, courtesy of Hubbard himself.

Oh, well, El Reg will probably delete this before they sue the site (watched the South Park episode?)...

RIAA = You take things You enjoy it, they Sue and take all your money!

C0$ = They take all your money you enjoy it, you take things from them then they Sue you!

Xenu icon cause it looks like Cruse....

They should've converted the RIAA site into a fan site for the Artist-Formerly-Known-as-Prince.

As we all know, Prince is very "proactive" about protecting his property.

Just imagine, Prince's lawyers lining up against RIAA lawyers. Scary stuff!

"They are sure all bad enough, but I'd say the Scientologists are even wackier"

Come now - the difference between the polished turd of the holy see, the glistening crap of the Imams and the shiny cow pat of Ron's is surely negligible?

Anonymous (first time ever), cos I ain't THAT dumb.

There seems to be an ongoing epic battle between underground groups and the Church of Scientology, since Jan 18. The Scientology websites are currently up and down like a glacial yoyo.

press release at:

http://www.prlog.org/10046797-internet-group-anonymous-declares-war-on-scientology.html

Started in USA. Apparently the Russians are on board now.

This could be the first time such a range of groups from around the world have united in an attack on a website/entity.

It saddens me to see such viscious attacks against two organisations that are only here to make people's lives better.

Oh wait...

I feel for the guys, 'cos at the end of the day they are only "doing their job" - but damn that's funny.

Given the way they're making the community feel, I doubt this is the last time something will happen to them, hopefully in the future it will be something more comically incriminating, such as the .mp3 ideas...

"Hacking the RIAA web site only makes them right. Hacking their web site only helps reinforce the idea that downloaders are criminals. Trying to imply an act of criminality is some kind of moral victory over the RIAA is just playing into their hands."

Kinda like saying that even though the Nazis are gassing all your friends, shooting them in the head is still murder. Well, it may be, but I'll take that up with the invisible-sky-farrie next time we speak. Acting in a "criminal" manner to achieve a moral victory is sometimes acceptable (especially against the RIAA). I sure that was said better, by someone more famous than I, but the point is still valid. Make the bad men go away.

(No A.C. here)

Let's see, where do I start.

First, as much as I hate the RIAA, comparing them to the NAZIS is a straw man argument.

Second, while I do love the subtle attacks, nothing will change until people stop chatting about this stuff on websites and start bashing their elected representatives around to change things (yes, being a yank I don't have a lot of room to talk but I will anyway).

Lastly, the Church of Scientology is pretty freaky, but they don't make you join and don't charge you under the threat of litigation for believing in a religion, so I really don't see why they should be pulled in. We want to focus on the real Satan's of the world like the RIAA.

Just my two cents, thanks for reading this.

...also breaks the Godwin rule...!