Recording Industry Association of America
Formation	1952
Type	Technical standards, licensing and royalties
Headquarters	Washington, D.C.
Location	United States
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer	Cary Sherman
Website	riaa.com

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States. Its members consist of record labels and distributors, which the RIAA say "create, manufacture and/or distribute approximately 85% of all legally sold recorded music in the United States."^[1] RIAA has its headquarters in Washington, D.C.^[2][3]

The RIAA was formed in 1952^[4] primarily to administer the RIAA equalization curve,^{[citation needed]} a technical standard of frequency response applied to vinyl records during recording. The RIAA participates in the collective rights management of sound recording. The association is also responsible for certifying Gold and Platinum albums and singles in the USA.

The RIAA lists its goals as:^[1]

1. to protect intellectual property rights and the First Amendment rights of artists;
2. to perform research about the music industry;
3. to monitor and review relevant laws, regulations and policies;

Company structure and sales[link]

Cary Sherman has been the RIAA's chairman and CEO since 2011. Sherman joined the RIAA as its general counsel in 1997 and became president of the board of directors in 2001, serving in that position until being made chairman and CEO.

Mitch Glazier has been the RIAA's senior executive vice president since 2011. He served as executive vice president for public policy and industry relations from 2000 to 2011.

The past RIAA chairman and CEO is the Mitch Bainwol, who served from 2003 to 2011. He left in 2011 to become president and CEO of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.

The board of directors consists of 26 members of the board, drawn mostly from the big four members of the RIAA.^[5] The board is currently made up of:

• Cary Sherman - RIAA
• Colin Finkelstein - EMI Recorded Music
• Bill Hearn - EMI Christian Music Group
• Deirdre McDonald - Sony Music Entertainment
• Terry Hemmings - Provident Music Group/Sony Music Entertainment
• Kevin Kelleher - Sony Music Entertainment
• Thomas Hesse - Sony Music Entertainment
• Julie Swidler - Sony Music Entertainment
• Luke Wood - Interscope Records
• Jeff Harleston - Universal Music Group
• Zach Horowitz - Universal Music Group
• Mel Lewinter - Universal Motown Republic Group
• Craig Kallman - The Atlantic Group
• Paul Robinson Warner Music Group
• Bob Cavallo - Buena Vista Music
• Glen Barros - Concord Music Group
• Mike Curb - Curb Records
• Michael Koch^{[disambiguation needed ]} - Entertainment One U.S.
• Tom Silverman - Tommy Boy Entertainment
• Steve Bartels - Island Records

The RIAA represents over 1,600 member labels, which are private corporate entities such as record labels and distributors, and collectively create and distribute about 90% of recorded music sold in the United States. The largest and most influential of the members are the "Big Four" that include:

• EMI
• Sony Music Entertainment
• Universal Music Group
• Warner Music Group

The RIAA reports that total retail value of recordings sold by their members was $10.4 billion^[6] at the end of 2007, a decline from $14.6 billion in 1999.

Sales certification[link]

The RIAA operates an award program for albums that sell a large number of copies.^[7] The program originally began in 1958, with a Gold Award for singles and albums that reach 1,000,000 in sales. The criteria was changed in 1975 to the number of copies sold, with albums selling 500,000 copies awarded the Gold Award. In 1976, a Platinum Award was added for one million sales. In 1989 it changed again with a "Gold Award" for singles that reach 500,000 in sales and a "Platinum Award" for singles that reach 1,000,000 in sales, and in 1999 a Diamond Award for ten million sales.^[8] The awards are open to both RIAA members and non-members.^[9]

Since 2000,^[10] the RIAA also operates a similar program for Spanish language music sales, called Los Premios de Oro y De Platino. Currently, a Disco De Oro (Gold) is awarded for 50,000 units and a Disco De Platino is awarded for 100,000 units, with Album Multi-Platino at 200,000.^[11] To be eligible for this award, sound recordings must contain more than 50% Spanish language content.^[10]

"Digital" sales certification[link]

In 2004, the RIAA added a branch of certification for what it calls "digital" recordings, meaning roughly "recordings transferred to the recipient over a network" (such as those sold via the iTunes Store), and excluding other obviously-digital media such as those on CD, DAT, or MiniDisc. In 2006, "digital ringtones" were added to this branch of certification. As of 2007^[update], the certification criteria for these recordings are as follows:

• Silver: 100,000 copies
• Gold: 500,000 copies
• Platinum: 1,000,000 copies
• Multi-Platinum: 2,000,000 copies
• Diamond: 10,000,000 copies

Video Longform certification[link]

Along with albums, digital albums, and singles there is another classification of music release called "Video Longform." This release format includes DVD and VHS releases, and certain live albums and compilation albums. The certification criteria is slightly different from other styles.^[12]

• Gold: 50,000
• Platinum: 100,000

Efforts against infringement of members' copyrights[link]

Efforts against file sharing[link]

The RIAA opposes unauthorized sharing of its music. Studies conducted since the association began its campaign against peer-to-peer file-sharing have concluded that losses incurred per download range from negligible^[13][14] to substantial.^[15]

The association has commenced high profile lawsuits against file sharing service providers. It has also commenced a series of lawsuits against individuals suspected of file sharing, notably college students and parents of file sharing children. It is accused of employing techniques such as peer-to-peer "decoying" and "spoofing" to combat file sharing.^[16][17]

As of late 2008 they have announced they will stop their lawsuits,^[18] and instead are attempting to work with ISPs who will use a three-strike warning system for file sharing, and upon the third strike will cut off Internet service all together.^[19] However as of 2009 no major ISPs have announced they are part of the plan, and Verizon has publicly denied any involvement with this plan.^[20]

Selection of defendants[link]

The RIAA names defendants based on ISP identification of the subscriber associated with an IP address,^[21] and as such do not know any additional information about a person before they sue. After an Internet subscriber's identity is discovered, but before an individual lawsuit is filed, the subscriber is typically offered an opportunity to settle. The standard settlement is a payment to the RIAA and an agreement not to engage in file-sharing of music and is usually on par with statutory damages of $750 per work, with the RIAA choosing the number of works it deems "reasonable." For cases that do not settle at this amount, the RIAA has gone to trial, seeking statutory damages from the jury, written into The Digital Theft Deterrence and Copyright Damages Improvement Act of 1999 as between $750 and $30,000 per work or $750 and $150,000 per work if "willful." In the case RIAA v. Tenenbaum, the jury awarded the RIAA $22,500 per song shared by Joel Tenenbaum resulting in a judgment of $675,000 for the shared 30 tracks (this was later reduced to $67,500 by the judge) and in the case RIAA v. Jammie Thomas-Rasset, the jury awarded $80,000 per song, or $1.92 million for 24 tracks^[22][23] (this award was later reduced by the judge to $54,000,^[24] though the final amount of damages has not been determined).

The Electronic Frontier Foundation and Public Citizen oppose the ability of the RIAA and other companies to "strip Internet users of anonymity without allowing them to challenge the order in court."^[25][26]

The RIAA's methods of identifying individual users had, in some rare cases, led to the issuing of subpoena to a recently deceased 83-year-old woman,^[27] an elderly computer novice,^[28] and a family reportedly without any computer at all.^[29]

Settlement programs[link]

In February 2007 the RIAA began sending letters accusing Internet users of sharing files and directing them to web site P2PLAWSUITS.COM, where they can make "discount" settlements payable by credit card.^[30] The letters go on to say that anyone not settling will have lawsuits brought against them. Typical settlements are between $3,000 and $12,000. This new strategy was formed because the RIAA's legal fees were cutting into the income from settlements.^[31] In 2008, RIAA sued 19-year-old Ciara Sauro for allegedly sharing ten songs online.^[32]

The RIAA also launched an "early settlement program" directed to ISPs and to colleges and universities, urging them to pass along letters to subscribers and students offering early settlements, prior to the disclosure of their identities. The settlement letters urged ISPs to preserve evidence for the benefit of the RIAA and invited the students and subscribers to visit an RIAA website for the purpose of entering into a "discount settlement" payable by credit card.^[33] By March 2007, the focus had shifted from ISPs to colleges and universities.^[31][34][35]

In October 1998, the Recording Industry Association of America filed a lawsuit in the Ninth U.S. Court of Appeals in San Francisco claiming the Diamond Multimedia Rio PMP300 player violated the 1992 Audio Home Recording Act. The Rio PMP300 was significant because it was the second portable consumer MP3 digital audio player released on the market. The three judge panel ruled in favor of Diamond, paving the way for the development of the portable digital player market.^[36]

In 2003, the RIAA sued college student developers of LAN search engines Phynd and Flatlan, describing them as "a sophisticated network designed to enable widespread music thievery."^[37][38][39]

In September 2003, the RIAA filed suit in civil court against several private individuals who had shared large numbers of files with Kazaa. Most of these suits were settled with monetary payments averaging $3,000. Kazaa publisher Sharman Networks responded with a lawsuit against the RIAA, alleging that the terms of use of the network were violated and that unauthorized client software was used in the investigation to track down the individual file sharers (such as Kazaa Lite). An effort to throw out this suit was denied in January 2004, however, that suit was settled in 2006. Sharman Networks agreed to a global settlement of litigation brought against it by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), the International Federation of Phonographic Industry (IFPI), and the RIAA. The creators of the popular Kazaa file-sharing network will pay $115 million to the RIAA, unspecified future amounts to the MPAA and the software industry, and install filters on its networks to prevent users from sharing copyrighted works on its network. ^[40] Michael L. Williams 15:31, 17 December 2011 (UTC)

RIAA has also filed suit in 2006 to enjoin digital XM Satellite Radio from enabling its subscribers from playing songs it has recorded from its satellite broadcasts.^[41] It is also suing several Internet radio stations.^[42]

On October 12, 2007, the RIAA sued Usenet.com seeking a permanent injunction to prevent the company from "aiding, encouraging, enabling, inducing, causing, materially contributing to, or otherwise facilitating" copyright infringement. This suit, the first that the RIAA has filed against a Usenet provider, has added another branch to the RIAA's rapidly expanding fight to curb the unauthorized distribution of copyrighted materials. Unlike many of the RIAA's previous lawsuits, this suit is filed against the provider of a service who has no direct means of removing infringing content. The RIAA's argument relies heavily on the fact the Usenet.com, the only defendant that has been named currently, promoted their service with slogans and phrases that strongly suggested that the service could be used to obtain free music.

On April 28, 2008, RIAA member labels sued Project Playlist, a web music search site, claiming that the majority of the sound recordings in the site's index of links are infringing. Project Playlist's website denies that any of the music is hosted on Project Playlist's own servers.^[43]

On June 30, 2009, The Recording Industry Association of America prevailed in its fight against Usenet.com, in a decision, that the U.S. District Judge Harold Baer of the Southern District of New York ruled in favor of the music industry on all its main arguments: that Usenet.com is guilty of direct, contributory, and vicarious infringement. In addition, and perhaps most important for future cases, Baer said that Usenet.com can't claim protection under the Sony Betamax decision. That ruling states, companies can't be held liable for contributory infringement if the device they create is "capable of significant non-infringing uses."^[44] Furthermore, the parties are now headed to federal court for damage assessments and awards, which could amount to many, many millions of dollars for the music industry. ^[45]

On October 26, 2010, RIAA members won a case against LimeWire, a P2P file sharing network, for illegal distribution of copyrighted works.^[46] On October 29, in retaliation, riaa.org was taken offline via denial-of-service attack executed by members of Operation Payback and Anonymous.^[47]

The "work made for hire" controversy[link]

In 1999, Mitch Glazier, a Congressional staff attorney, inserted, without public notice or comment, substantive language into the final markup of a "technical corrections" section of copyright legislation, classifying many music recordings as "works made for hire," thereby stripping artists of their copyright interests and transferring those interests to their record labels.^[48][49] Shortly afterwards, Glazier was hired as Senior Vice President of Government Relations and Legislative Counsel for the RIAA, which vigorously defended the change when it came to light.^[50] The battle over the disputed provision led to the formation of the Recording Artists' Coalition, which successfully lobbied for repeal of the change.^[51][52]

See also[link]

	Music portal
	United States portal

• Center for Copyright Information
• Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
• Global music industry market share data
• Intellectual Property trade groups
• International Intellectual Property Alliance IIPA
• List of RIAA member labels
• Music Canada CRIA
• Parental Advisory

References[link]

External links[link]

• RIAA official website

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SeeYa (Hangul: 씨야) was a South Korean female group made up of Kim Yeonji and Lee Boram. The group name "SeeYa" came from the phrases See You Always and See You Again, which means that the group wishes to live eternally through their music for their fans. When they first debuted, they were marketed as the female version of SG Wannabe.^[1]

History[link]

The group started with the ideas of the producers of male vocal trio SG Wannabe, who decided to create a female version of the group.^[2] SeeYa's first album was co-produced by SG Wannabe and included tracks by many of the songwriters who had worked with the group. SeeYa's subsequent albums, however, saw the group branching out into different genres.

Their debut album titled The First Mind was released on February 24, 2006,^[3] and was launched with the singles "A Woman's Scent" (여인의 향기) and "Shoes" (구두). They also performed "Because I Love You" (사랑하기 때문에), which features SG Wannabe. They continued performing through the year with "Crazy Love Song" ("미친 사랑의 노래"), a piece from The Invisible Man (투명인간 최장수) soundtrack.^[4] They also performed a dance remix of "Crazy Love Song" to showcase their dancing ability.^[5]

Their second album Lovely Sweet Heart was released on May 25, 2007.^[6] The album sold 81,723 copies in 2007, making it the fifth best-selling album in Korea that year, according to the Music Industry Association of Korea.^[7] The first single, "Love's Greeting" (사랑의 인사),^[8] won awards at the 2007 Golden Disk Awards and the MKMF Awards.^[9] Follow-up singles included "Shall We Marry" (결혼 할까요) and "Ice Doll" (얼음 인형).

On January 2, 2008, SeeYa released California Dream,^[10] a "special" album that included songs that had been individually released as side-projects like "The Day," which Kim Yeonji sang along with Brown Eyed Girls' Jea;^[11] "Flying In The Deep Night" (깊은 밤을 날아서), which Nam Gyuri sang for a movie's original soundtrack; an O.S.T. song "The First Time In That Place" (처음 그 자리에) from the TV drama "Full House" originally performed by Lee Boram, and others. The album also included three new songs, including the single "Sad footsteps" also known as "Shoes II" (슬픈 발걸음, 구두 II), which was first released online in mid-December and went on to top the charts.^[12] On January 31, SeeYa won the Main Award at the 2008 Seoul Music awards.^[13]

In May 2008, SeeYa collaborated with girl group label-mates Davichi and Black Pearl to form the project group Color Pink. Color Pink released one single called "Blue Moon."

Their third album, Brilliant Change, was released on September 26, 2008, with the lead single "Hot Girl", an "electronica" song, which is in contrast with the ballads that SeeYa is known for.^[14] Korean Top Artist Lee Hyori commented on the album in an interview, "SeeYa are not only a group with singing talents, but one that has everything, I have seen their hidden talents because of the closeness we share from juniors to seniors [within the company]." She added, "I previewed the full-length album and I was so surprised at their transformation, and this album is one in which you can see all of SeeYa’s charms."^[15] During the promotion for the album, the group made efforts to play down the common perception that the group was mainly a vehicle for raising Nam Gyuri's celebrity profile, openly addressing the expression "Nam Gyuri and Others," which was by then being widely used by KPop followers to mock the Nam-centered promotion of the group.^[16]

In April 2009, Core Contents Media, SeeYa's management company^{[citation needed]}, announced that Nam Gyuri had stopped participating in the group's activities, thus violating the terms of her contract; the company also stated that it would potentially take legal action against Nam. Nam claimed that her contract was over and she was no longer bound to the company or SeeYa. Nam also posted a long entry on her personal mini-blog in which she seemed to refer to the head of Core Contents Media as "the devil," as well as accuse the other members of the group of making her feel lonely by sending her "cold looks like ice."^[17]

In May 2009, SeeYa formed a project group with Davichi and T-ara to release the single "Women's Generation/Eternal Love." SeeYa member Kim Yeonji described the project group as a "continuation of the Color Pink project."^[18] During a press conference at the music video shoot for the song, SeeYa members Kim Yeonji and Lee Boram confessed that they were disappointed by the manner of Nam's departure and puzzled by claims attributed to Nam and her "close acquaintances" that Nam had not been treated well by the company.^[19] As of June 8, 2009 "Women's Generation" had topped the Korean mobile charts for four consecutive weeks and was ranked #4 in mobile downloads for 2009.^[20]

On July 15, 2009, SeeYa's management company Core Contents Media announced that Nam Gyuri had resumed activities with the group. However this return was short-lived as it was announced that she had permanently left the group on August 13, 2009. Nam announced through her lawyer that she had left the group to focus on her acting career and had no intention of returning.^[21] SeeYa then began the search for a new member to replace Nam.^[22]

Nam Gyuri's replacement Lee Soomi was revealed in August 2009 and SeeYa's first mini-album titled "Rebloom" was released on October 28, 2009. The single "His Voice" (그 놈 목소리) received attention for its choreography, nicknamed the "Bully Dance" by netizens.

After finishing promotions for "Rebloom" SeeYa teamed up with Davichi and T-ara again for the release of the song "Wonder Woman" (원더우먼) in January 2010. On February 17, 2010, member Kim Yeonji released her first solo song "Let’s Meet Again" (우리 다시 만나요). In April, SeeYa released "Touch My Heart" (가슴이 뭉클) for the soundtrack of drama Personal Taste.

On July 23, 2010 Core Contents Media announced that Lee Soomi would leave SeeYa to join the company's new co-ed group Co-Ed School (남녀공학). Core Contents Media suggested that it would not search for a replacement member and Kim Yeonji and Lee Boram would continue SeeYa as a duo.

On December 13, 2010 Core Content Media confirmed that SeeYa was going to disband after their next album release. It was reported that both members wanted to go separate ways and CCM agreed to it. Nam Gyuri, who heard of SeeYa's upcoming disbandment, decided to join her former members in their last remaining promotions. SeeYa released their last album on January 10 titled “See You Again,” which includes all of the group’s hit tracks and two new songs.

On January 30, 2011 SeeYa, along with Nam Gyuri, performed at Inkigayo with the songs "The Last" & "You're Gorgeous To Me". SeeYa greeted their fans with a final farewell and formally disbanded after their performance.

Members[link]

Former Members[link]

Discography[link]

Studio albums[link]

Mini albums[link]

Compilations[link]

Awards[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

• (English) SeeYa FanSite
• (Korean) SeeYa-With you - Official fansite