[SAUNDERSAN]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7029229.stm

Huge fine for US music downloader
A court in the US has ordered a woman to pay $222,000 (£109,000) in damages for illegally downloading music. The jury ordered Jammie Thomas, 32, from Minnesota, to pay for offering to share 24 specific songs online - a cost of $9,250 per song.
But the fine could have been millions, as record companies said she illegally shared a total of 1,702 songs.
Ms Thomas was the first person accused of illegal file-sharing who decided to fight the case in court.
Each year millions of households illegally share music files, and the music industry takes it as a serious threat to its revenue.
About 26,000 lawsuits have been filed against alleged file-sharers, but most defendants settle privately by paying a fine amounting to a few thousand dollars.
Industry defiant
However, contesting the charge and losing will cost Jammie Thomas almost a quarter of a million dollars.


Her lawyer, Brian Toder, told the Associated Press Ms Thomas was reduced to tears by the verdict. "This is a girl that lives from paycheque to paycheque, and now all of a sudden she could get a quarter of her paycheque garnished for the rest of her life," he said.
The US record industry said people would understand the verdict.
Richard Gabriel, a lawyer for the music companies, said the verdict was important.
"This does send a message, I hope, that downloading and distributing our recordings is not OK," he told AP.
He said no decision had yet been made about what the record companies would do, if anything, to pursue collecting the money from Ms Thomas.
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Somehow I doubt she will have to end up paying all that money though.

[HelenTay]

eh someone will feel sorry for her and pay it off for her
________
Scripps-Booth

[BakerBonce]

I have an idea. EVERYONE BOYCOTT THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY.

I've already been doing it for years.

"The US record industry said people would understand the verdict."

No, that's not the case. They record industry knows you're all a bunch of dumbfunks and will still buy their stuff anyway. Of course, not YOU in particular.
________
WENDIE 99

[sitescools]

I have an idea. EVERYONE BOYCOTT THE ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY.

I've already been doing it for years.

"The US record industry said people would understand the verdict."

No, that's not the case. They record industry knows you're all a bunch of dumbfunks and will still buy their stuff anyway. Of course, not YOU in particular.

Everyone is boycotting the entertainment industry aren't they? Why would they be resorting to suing their potential customers to make money if they hadn't? Music piracy is not new...

[BakerBonce]

Everyone is boycotting the entertainment industry aren't they? Why would they be resorting to suing their potential customers to make money if they hadn't? Music piracy is not new...

Good point.
________
Wiki vaporizer

[MasTaBlau]

bahaha... I love the "The US record industry said people would understand the verdict." part.

Yea I understand your a bunch of greedy ***** that are worried your not going to get to drive around in your cars that cost more than my house anymore, not going to get to wipe your butt with money anymore... man Im just so broken up about this, can we take up a collection for music industry heads?

[iodigmaFemZem]

I think the trick is to not buy, download, or share songs the RIAA owns the rights to. There's plenty of other music to listen to.

It'll be like when all the radio stations boycotted ASCAP in the 50's and nobody noticed.

[MasTaBlau]

I think the trick is to not buy, download, or share songs the RIAA owns the rights to. There's plenty of other music to listen to.

It'll be like when all the radio stations boycotted ASCAP in the 50's and nobody noticed.

The biggest thing seems to be not to share, all the people that get caught seem to share a lot of files too