So there is a god. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), who we love dearly, finally saw sense and dropped its lawsuit against the granny who had suffered enormously at the hands of Hurricane Rita. Unfortunately, it wasn’t Christmas spirit that made the RIAA see sense in this latest filesharing lawsuit.
Granny Crain had previously claimed that she had never used filesharing services and that she had had her home displaced by the hurricane. That wasn’t enough to deter the RIAA. The case would have continued by for a counter-claim by Granny Crain that the RIAA had played dirty by sending an unlicensed investigator to snoop on the old lady.
MediaSentry, hired by the RIAA, is apparently not allowed to investigate people in Texas – not even in filesharing cases for the mighty RIAA Vs The People. The RIAA is now shaken as it could potentially lose a number of filesharing cases based on this ruling. The RIAA has likely dropped its case out of fear that if MediaSentry snooping is ruled illegal in this lawsuit, a host of other filesharing cases will fall apart – we can but hope.
Granny Crain had been accused of using the filesharing services Kazaa. Demands to settle out of court for $4,500 were rejected by the pensioner.
The RIAA also suffered a setback in a filesharing case when Tanya Andersen and her 10-year-old daughter left the RIAA on the ropes after more claims against MediaSentry investigations. The RIAA stalked and hounded Anderson for three years, but it appears that there is some justice in the world.
Remember Jammie Thomas? Yeah, you know, the woman taken to court by six large record label for making music available for people to share on the Internet. Well, get this: she’s not only been found guilty, but she’s been ordered to pay $220,000 in compensation. $220,000!
Thomas was fined $9,250 for every song she illegally made available on her Kazzaa account, which she said she didn’t own in her defense. She was found guilty of sharing 24 songs, although what these songs are was undisclosed. Apparently she shared some 1,702 songs in all.
The lowest she could have been made to pay was $750 per song, so you can be sure that they are trying to make an example out this poor woman with the massive amount of money they’ve called her out for.
This is a landmark ruling, and it’s one that’s sure to send ripples through the music industry. Are we to all live in fear now that the record labels are starting to bite back? This is just the beginning, and you can be sure that more cases will follow.
What’s big news here is the excessive amount of money Jammie Thomas has to pay. The 24 songs are worth, what, $24? Thomas did the same as millions of people around the world do every day.
The world has gone mad.
Record companies plan to keep on suing people for downloading music illegally. Come on now! Although we don’t condone it, many, many people do it? Music downloading is easy and quick, and it’s half of the reason why some people own computers.
Six major record companies have taken Jammie Thomas from Minnesota to court for illegally downloading and sharing music online. This woman is a mother of two, not that that has anything to do with this.
This is the first time such a case has gone to court. They are making an example out of this woman. Thomas is apparently linked to a Kazzaa account, but the trial is only focused on 24 songs, rather than the 1,702 initially discussed.
Thomas could faces fines of up to $150,000… per song. It’s a good job they aren’t trying her for all of the songs. The record companies only have to prove that Thomas made the songs available, not that she transferred them to anybody.
The record companies involved are big players: Sony BMG, Arista Records LLC, Interscope Records, UMG Recordings Inc., Capitol Records Inc. and Warner Bros. Records Inc.
We’re going to be watching this one with interest. Whose side are you on?
