In an amusingly farcical turn of events, the viral marketing campaign initiated by Nine Inch Nails‘ record company has resulted in a fan being sent cease and desist letters and a demand for legal fees by solicitors and RIAA threats to an entertainment zine. The hugely popular American industrial group headed up by Trent Reznor is due to release a new album soon. To boost interest, they’ve produced an alternative reality game involving “obscure web sites, answering machines and clues on NIN tour t-shirts all being part of a giant, mysterious puzzle.” Part of the action involves legally distributed Nine Inch Nails taster MP3s, but when one German fan posted up a streamed version of a song, he received a letter from solicitors demanding he pay costs and remove the track immediately. Soon after, online zine Idolator were ordered to remove a similar MP3 by the RIAA.

Just the sort of situation to be satirised by the one and only Chris Morris.

Link: full story at P2P blog
Link: details of the game

Share this post: