The RIAA has hired the Nation's top hired gun to fight music piracy.

Apparently, the recording industry doesn't realize yet that it's fighting a losing battle. Looks like we're in for another ridiculous fight this coming year.

ATF Director to Head Music Industry's Anti-Piracy Efforts
By the Associated Press for Fox News.

The director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives (search) is leaving his post next month to lead the recording
industry's efforts to stop music piracy.

Bradley A. Buckles, who served ATF for 30 years and was named director in
1999, will come head of the Anti-Piracy Unit of the Recording Industry
Association of America (search), the trade group announced Tuesday.

"Brad's appointment should signal to everyone that we continue to take
piracy (search), here and throughout the world, very seriously," said Mitch Bainwol, RIAA's chairman and chief executive officer.

Here is the entire article in case the link goes bad:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,105282,00.html

ATF Director to Head Music Industry's Anti-Piracy Efforts

Tuesday, December 09, 2003

WASHINGTON — The director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives (search) is leaving his post next month to lead the recording
industry's efforts to stop music piracy.

Bradley A. Buckles, who served ATF for 30 years and was named director in
1999, will come head of the Anti-Piracy Unit of the Recording Industry
Association of America (search), the trade group announced Tuesday.

"Brad's appointment should signal to everyone that we continue to take
piracy (search), here and throughout the world, very seriously," said Mitch
Bainwol, RIAA's chairman and chief executive officer.

Over the past six months, RIAA has filed more than 380 copyright lawsuits
(search) against computer users its says are illegally distributing songs
over the Internet. The RIAA also says music copyrights are increasingly
threatened by easy-to-produce counterfeit compact disks.

Attorney General John Ashcroft praised Buckles for "the seamless transfer"
of ATF from the Treasury Department to the Justice Department, which was
part of the law creating the Homeland Security Department.

Buckles' retirement is effective Jan. 3. No replacement was immediately
named.