response 7 of 151:

Oct 2 21:02 UTC 2003

CD sales have rocketed upwards since the lawsuits were filed.

Last night I stopped at a Borders to peek at Billboard, which carries
the weekly Soundscan CD sales numbers in their print edition.
 
The RIAA's 261 lawsuits were filed on September 8, and the Billboard
dated Sept. 27 contains sales data for the week ending Sept.14 -- not
quite one full week after the lawsuits hit the news.

Sales week ending Sept. 14:   10,239,000
Sales same week, 2002:         9,947,000

So, year-ago sales were up 2.9% for the week following the RIAA lawsuits.

Now, sales were up for the week ending Sept. 7, too, at
10,111,000; so sales were already running high before the
filing of the suits.
 
Today's USA Today reports that Big Music is on a roll.  I assume this 
story represents Soundscan data for the week ending Sept. 28.
 
Sales for the week are 12.5 million CDs, up 17% from the same week in
2002.  It's the third consecutive week of rising sales.  My guess,
from looking at the Billboard sales graphs last night, is that this
was the best week for Big Music sales in two years.

"The gains likely have more to do with all the hot arrivals than the
clampdown on the Internet's illegal music traders."  Outkast, Dave
Matthews, Limp Bizkit and R. Kelly lead the parade of happy sellers.
But there is nothing here to suggest that the RIAA's interests are
not being served by the lawsuits, and nothing to suggest that a mass
consumer boycott is looming.  

http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2003-10-01-music_x.htm