This was the question Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill. asked Cary Sherman of the RIAA today during a Senate Judiciary Hearing on "Pornography, Technology, and Process: Problems and Solutions on Peer-to-Peer Networks". The question was asked in response to the RIAA suing 12-year-old Brianna Lahara as part of the 261 suits filed yesterday against file sharers. AP reports that the case has been settled for $2,000.

"The real hope here is that people will return to the record store," said Eric Garland, CEO of BigCampagne LLC, which tracks peer-to-peer Internet trends. "The biggest question is whether singling out a handful of copyright infringers will invigorate business or drive file-sharing further underground, further out of reach."

Suing 12 year olds, etc. seems more likely to backfire on the RIAA, pushing people into the DarkNet, than causing a reasonable solution for the majority of the populace so they can buy music legally online. If the RIAA was looking for bad publicity, they got it. But I really find it hard to believe that they are convincing anyone of their position with these tactics. Not to mention, poor Cary had such an embarrasing day. Dude, I gotta get a better strategist!