] A Senate panel will hold hearings on the recording ] industry's crackdown against online music swappers, the ] chairman said Thursday. ] ] Sen. Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) made the announcement in a ] letter to the Recording Industry Association of America. ] He had received information he had requested from the ] group about the campaign, which Coleman has called ] excessive. ] ] The Senate Governmental Affairs' Permanent Subcommittee ] on Investigations is reviewing the group's responses and ] declined to make them available Thursday, as did the ] industry group. ] ] The association announced plans in June to file several ] hundred lawsuits against people suspected of illegally ] sharing songs on the Internet. Copyright laws allow for ] damages of $750 to $150,000 for each song. ] ] In his letter, Coleman said he would look at not just the ] scope of that campaign but also the dangers that ] downloaders face by making their personal information ] available to others. Coleman said he would review ] legislation that would expand criminal penalties for ] downloading music. Finally - a glimmer of hope the RIAA is going to be told to call off the dogs. Senator to hold hearings on recording industry's piracy crackdown |