XM Defends Against RIAA Claims

XM calls the record industry's lawsuit from last week regarding being able to record satellite radio programming to a new wave of devices meritless.

In an open, passionate letter posted lasted week on their Web site, XM Satellite Radio has come out swinging against the RIAA, who is suing the satellite radio provider over its latest receiver/recorder devices (like the Pioneer Inno) which can save up to 50 hours of XM programming for later listening. The suit seeks damages against XM for every instance of a song copied by XM customers to one of these devices.

In their letter, XM states the new portable devices they’ve released are completely legal and that the RIAA has in effect filed a lawsuit to stop people’s “ability to choose when and where you can listen”. Seeing the lawsuit as “meritless”, XM compares products like the Pionner Inno to other devices over the decades, like VCRs and Tivo, which have recorded copyrighted programming off the airs for personal use.

XM said they will “vigorously defend these radios in court and before Congress” and that they expect to prevail.