RIAA Awarded $222,000 in First Jury Trial

[Rob Williams]

From our front-page news:

Wow, what can be said that isn't blatantly obvious? The RIAA has won another major case, against Jammie Thomas, a single mother with two kids. RIAA cases have always been ridiculous, but this one is more so because the jury decided that it was fair for a single mother to be liable for $222,000 for owning twenty-four pirated songs. Thomas is no doubt going to file an appeal, but how frustrating it is that the RIAA can get away with this...

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Under the username “Tereastarr,” Thomas was found sharing just over 1,700 files via the Kazaa network on February 21, 2005. Of those 1,700 tracks, 24 were named – including music from popular artists such as AFI, Green Day, and Aerosmith – and for each one she was held liable for $9,250 worth of damages, coming to a grand total of $222,000.

Source: DailyTech
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Excuse me while I go scream at the top of my lungs.

 

[madstork91]

Curiously... how many people can they sue for the distrobution before you have sued EVERYONE who has p2p shared to EVERYONE based on EVERYONE you have shared with.

I guess the last person to get sued has to pay less as the RIAA has already sued everyone they could have possibly shared too?

I think more than anything this is a scare tactic to show that they will go after the small guy/girl even if they are a poor single mother. On another note... That was back in ****ing 05. Why are they just now suing her?

 

[GameMasterNick]

My favorite part of this horrendous abuse of the legal system by a corporate entity against a citizen was the following:

"This is what can happen if you don't settle," the attorney for the record companies, Richard Gabriel, said.

Be afraid, be very afraid... boogah boogah!

Madstork: Most of the money they make on this is through settlements, that's how they finance their legal division, scaring people into paying without going to court. They give lots of time between the offense and the trial in hopes of extracting as much blood from the turnip as possible... making a person's life a living hell and destroying their credit and credibility in the time leading up to a potential trial. Most people just give in.

 

[Rob Williams]

Be afraid, be very afraid... boogah boogah!

That part pissed me off. I am just glad I don't live in the US... although it wouldn't surprise me if the Canuck equivalent wound up just as bad, down the road.

 

[NicePants42]

Hey, at least the judge didn't let the RIAA president testify.

.....That's got to count for something.

 

[moon111]

If someone breaks into my house and hurts themselves, they can sue me. If my kid pirated a song, which made them depressed and they commited suicide, could I sue the record label?

 

[Rob Williams]

If someone breaks into my house and hurts themselves, they can sue me. If my kid pirated a song, which made them depressed and they commited suicide, could I sue the record label?

You have totally messed up my head for the rest of the evening.

 

[madstork91]

Still made me lol.