Welcome to the party..

MPAA.

It seems that the Motion Picture Association of America (the MPAA) has followed the same path as the Recording Industry Association of America (the RIAA) and will start suing its customers starting today.

For excellent coverage, see BoingBoing's take.

Of course, this isn't suprising at any level except that it took this long. So much for the theory that the MPAA would learn from the mistakes of the RIAA. Suing your customers even if they are technically breaking the law(which they are) isn't the way to stop piracy. Why don't you give your customers what they want? A simple method for obtaining entertainment without the price gouges and the limits on how they can use it.

Too bad the porn industry doesn't have a coalition because those would be fun suits to see filed.

UPDATE:
For expert opinions see:

Susan Crawford

and Ernest Miller who gives a much better discussion of the carrot and stick concept.