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Look, we all know that this secrecy is stupid. Everybody on SPL is going to buy the album if they haven't already. But let's be careful about sharing pre-release MP3s because in this country it is grossly illegal. I may think that's a stupid law, but it is the law, and it's not worth it to any of us to get snagged sharing music we're all going to have in a few weeks. So, please, don't post links, etc. on this board. Think of CJ's baby and how it would be so sad if daddy had to go to prison.

*****
It's been a long time comin' but now it's here
Yeah, now it's here

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US Attorney and FBI collaborate on bust of two men who illegally posted prerelease copies of singer's Jacksonville City Nights album online.

Federal officials today accused two men of illegally posting music from alt-country rocker Ryan Adams' Jacksonville City Nights online before its release date last year, convincing a federal grand jury to indict the men.

Ryan Adams' Jacksonville City Nights
The indictment claims that Robert Thomas of Milwaukee, Minn. and Jared Bowser of Jacksonville, Fla., posted parts of the album--the second of Adams' three album releases in 2005--on fan Web sites for downloading last August. The album came out last September on Nashville-based Lost Highway Records.

"Any perception that copyright violations are victimless crimes is just plain wrong," US Attorney Jim Vines said in a statement. "Theft of music, trade secrets, and other intellectual property victimizes the creators of such works, who have a legal right to determine how their work is distributed."

"Many individual and corporate victims of copyright crimes live, work, and create here in the Middle District of Tennessee, and persons who knowingly violate federal copyright law face serious consequences, whether or not they intend to harm anyone," Vines continued.

Lost Highway parent company Universal Music Group said in a statement that it is committed to "vigorously protecting" the rights of its artists.

"In this particular situation, prereleased copies were irresponsibly leaked without authorization in a way that damages our artist and our marketing plans for the artist's album," the statement said.

If convicted on all counts, Thomas and Bowser each face up to 11 years in prison.

"Prerelease piracy is a particularly damaging and onerous form of theft," RIAA Chairman and CEO Mitch Bainwol said in a statement. "It robs artists of the chance to sell their music before it even hits the streets or becomes legally available online."

"And the ripple effects are felt far and wide throughout the entire music community--especially if that theft strikes in Nashville, the very heart of our industry," he continued.

*****
It's been a long time comin' but now it's here
Yeah, now it's here

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