RIAA Report Flags Telegram and Discord as New Hubs for Music Piracy
Published
- Primary distribution hubs: The RIAA's latest report identifies Telegram and Discord as primary mechanisms for distributing unauthorized pre-release music.
- Organized piracy: The report alleges that organized global groups use these platforms for hacking and social engineering to obtain and sell unreleased music.
- Notorious markets submission: The findings are part of the RIAA's annual submission to the U.S. Trade Representative's "Notorious Markets" review.
In its latest submission to the U.S. government, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has identified messaging platforms Telegram and Discord as significant hubs for music piracy. The report details how private and semi-private communities on these platforms are used to illegally obtain and often sell unreleased music tracks.
This marks a notable shift, placing popular communication apps at the center of modern copyright infringement concerns.
The Role of Telegram and Discord in Copyright Infringement
The RIAA report highlights these services as the primary channels through which organized groups distribute unauthorized pre-release music leaks. The report also lists usual suspects like stream-ripping sites Y2mate and Savefrom, as well as torrent sites like The Pirate Bay and 1337x.
The Telegram music piracy and Discord copyright issues are systemic, with the report noting that these illegally obtained materials are sometimes sold for thousands of dollars within these communities.
According to the RIAA, both platforms facilitate the activities of global groups that engage in hacking, social engineering, and other illicit methods to acquire music before its official release date.
While the RIAA acknowledges that both platforms respond to takedown notices, it questions what further preventative measures, if any, are being taken to curb the ongoing abuse of their services for illegal distribution.
The RIAA also names several intermediaries, including hosting companies PRQ, Frantech Solutions, and DDoS-Guard.
Broader Implications and Notorious Markets List
The inclusion of Telegram and Discord in the RIAA's submission underscores the evolving landscape of digital piracy, moving beyond traditional torrent sites and cyberlockers.
By calling out these messaging services, the RIAA is urging the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) to recognize their role in facilitating copyright infringement. Whether the U.S. government will formally list Telegram and Discord in its forthcoming "Notorious Markets" review remains to be seen.
Earlier this year, a RIAA lawsuit resulted in ordering ISP Altice to reveal the Identities of 100 alleged BitTorrent pirates.
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