• Minnesota Mom Hit With $1.5 Million Fine for Downloading 24 Songs
    122 replies, posted
[quote]What's the value of a song? Jammie Thomas-Rasset has spent the last few years in court debating that question. The Minnesota mother of four is being penalized for illegally downloading and sharing 24 songs on the peer-to-peer file-sharing network Kazaa in 2006, but how much she owes the record labels has been in question. The jury in her third trial has just ruled that Thomas-Rasset should pay Capitol Records $1.5 million, CNET reports, which breaks down to $62,500 per song. It's a heavy penalty considering the 24 tunes would only cost approximately $24 on iTunes, which was Thomas-Rasset' argument, too. Thanks to Thomas-Rasset's colorful case, she has become the public face of the record industry's battle with illegal downloaders. In her first trial, in 2007, the jury demanded she pay $222,000 for violating the copyright on more than 1,700 songs by Green Day, Aerosmith and Richard Marx, to name a few. (Marx said he was "ashamed" to be associated with the "farcical" prosecution of an illegal downloader.) Thomas-Rasset maintained she wasn't the computer user who did the file sharing, and her legal team cited an error in jury instruction to secure a second trial in 2009 that ended with a much harsher result: an astronomical fine of $1.92 million. However, earlier this year a U.S. District Court judge found the $1.92 million penalty against Thomas-Rasset to be "monstrous and shocking" and "gross injustice" before lowering it to $54,000, or $2,250 a song. Thomas-Rasset and her legal team decided to appeal that decision, too. The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), the organization that represents the four major record labels, was pleased by the most recent decision, even if it has no intention to collect the $1.5 million from Thomas-Rasset. "Now with three jury decisions behind us along with a clear affirmation of Ms. Thomas-Rasset's willful liability, it is our hope that she finally accepts responsibility for her actions," the RIAA said in a statement. Earlier this year, the RIAA offered Thomas-Rasset the opportunity to end the legal battle for $25,000 and an admission of guilt; Thomas-Rasset declined. Burying a Midwestern mom in insurmountable debt isn't the best publicity move, so rather than argue the labels are entitled to the cash, the RIAA has sought to make this trial into a cautionary tale for anyone considering illegally downloading music -- a reminder that there are penalties. But as the constantly declining weekly Nielsen SoundScan sales figures demonstrate, nothing seems to have deterred music fans from stealing rather than purchasing songs and albums. And in a digital world now dominated by Bit Torrent and Rapidshare, a trial over a music-sharing dinosaur like Kazaa seems nothing but antiquated. (Last month, after a decade of illegal file sharing, peer-to-peer service LimeWire was shut down by the government, much to the surprise of the millions who thought LimeWire had faded years ago into the Internet ether.) Still, Thomas-Rasset and her legal team are already making plans to appeal, setting the stage for a fourth trial. "The fight continues," promised Thomas-Rasset's lawyer Kiwi Camara. Even if Thomas-Rasset were to win the next trial, the RIAA would likely appeal that decision to ensure that copyright infringement without penalization won't happen. This story has the potential to drag on well into the next decade -- when for $1.5 million, all of Thomas-Rasset's four kids could finish law school and take up the fight on her behalf. [/quote] There is no justice in this, the fine itself it completely outrageous. These companies try to play the "oh they're stealing us, bankrupting us." But then they turn around and hit someone with a 1.5 million dollar fine.. It should be a crime. Make her pay the 24 bucks for her songs and that be the end of it. This isn't about the songs, it's all about them making a quick buck at the expense of someone else. [url]http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/amplifier/148/minnesota-mom-hit-with-15-million-fine-for-downloading-24-songs/[/url]
Justice has been finally served. Take her kids away and beat them too
INTERNET COPS EPISODE ONE: THEIR FIRST CRIME SCENE "Tell me Frank...How many songs?" "...I.." "GOD DAMN IT FRANK, HOW MANY SONGS?" "T-three..." "God damn it, I DID NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS!"
[QUOTE=ZekeTwo;25858245]Justice has been finally served. Take her kids away and beat them too[/QUOTE] They'll sell the kids and take the money as payment for all 24 songs.
[quote]$62,500 per song[/quote] Are these people fucking insane?
They sure showed her
They're just trying to set an example to scare people. I mean shit, 1 person out of millions. Your chances are pretty good in terms of getting away with stealing. If anything, this encourages excessive theft because the thought process incurred would be "Well, if I've downloaded a few songs and getting caught will bankrupt me, then really there's nothing to lose if I steal a lot more music". Also, it unduly makes those suing look like cocks.
She can file for bankruptcy. [editline]4th November 2010[/editline] god damnit
tbh i think the fines are fricking stupid, all they lost is the price of one song, so the fine should be the price of that song per song downloaded
Again, this is not just for downloading but also for sharing the songs as well.
[QUOTE=reedbo;25858442]Again, this is not just for downloading but also for sharing the songs as well.[/QUOTE] then with my above post, find the person who they shared it to and ask them for the cost of the song (what is it on itunes ? £0.79?)
Okay someone call up supreme court, they can't be allowed to do this
Source? I'm not attacking the legitimacy, I am just curious as to who reported.
how the hell is it fair you get sued millions for downloading songs you can get for $0.99?
Link a source, OP.
[QUOTE=ZekeTwo;25858245]Justice has been finally served. Take her kids away and beat them too[/QUOTE] = general opinion of FP on the justice system. Oh wait no this news story is about a crime that everyone here commits on a daily basis. [b]Sympathy ahoy![/b]
[QUOTE=baqua;25858382]She can file for bankruptcy. [editline]4th November 2010[/editline] god damnit[/QUOTE] It doesn't work like that anymore, you can do that but now you still have some financial responsibility. [QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;25858894]Link a source, OP.[/QUOTE] I did.
[QUOTE=ChestyMcGee;25858911]= general opinion of FP on the justice system. Oh wait no this news story is about a crime that everyone here commits on a daily basis. [b]Sympathy ahoy![/b][/QUOTE] Are you actually arguing on the side of a $1.5 million dollar fine for stealing something worth less than $24? Thank you for your input Mr. Draco.
When will people see how crazy and outrageous this is and try to beat it? Theres tons of stuff going on now but its doing NOTHING because the big businesses rule the economy and if we lose that, our economy goes to crap.
[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;25858943]Are you actually arguing on the side of a $1.5 million dollar fine for stealing something worth less than $24?[/QUOTE] No. But then again it [i]is[/i] the law and according to everyone in the thread about UK Prisoners and voting if you break the law you should have all your civil and human rights totally removed (because after all, you signed the contract just by being born) so the removal of a little bit of capital is nothing compared to that :downs:
Fucking music industry.
[QUOTE=tehMuffinMan;25858288]INTERNET COPS EPISODE ONE: THEIR FIRST CRIME SCENE "Tell me Frank...How many songs?" "...I.." "GOD DAMN IT FRANK, HOW MANY SONGS?" "T-three..." "God damn it, I DID NOT SIGN UP FOR THIS!"[/QUOTE] In the cyber justice system, the users are attacked by two separate but equally important groups: The RIAA who lobby government for anti-consumer laws and the cyber police who backtrace the offenders. These are their stories. Law & Order: Piracy Unit CHUNG CHUNG
[QUOTE=ChestyMcGee;25858956]No.[/QUOTE] While I agree that Facepunch stupidly tends defend piracy all the time a fine of even $500 would be worth the value of the songs plus almost 20 times more.
[QUOTE=Panda X;25858957]Fucking music industry.[/QUOTE] Yes how dare they try and defend themselves from getting blown out of fucking oblivion! (and no I'm not saying this punishment is just, but you can hardly blame the music industry for taking any scapegoat they can find and tearing it to shreds)
[QUOTE=JohnnyMo1;25858993]While I agree that Facepunch stupidly tends defend piracy all the time a fine of even $500 would be worth the value of the songs plus almost 20 times more.[/QUOTE] Defending piracy is different than defending fair use and the free exchange of information.
[QUOTE=ChestyMcGee;25858956]No. But then again it [i]is[/i] the law and according to everyone in the thread about UK Prisoners and voting if you break the law you should have all your civil and human rights totally removed (because after all, you signed the contract just by being born) so the removal of a little bit of capital is nothing compared to that :downs:[/QUOTE] That is about the stupidest thing I've ever heard. So i take it you're the kind of person that thinks when a kid makes a stupid decision and steals a piece of candy he should have all rights stripped from him and be executed via firing squad. The point is that that 1.5million fine is EXCESSIVE. Hell you can speed which is breaking the law (but it is only a minor thing) and get fined a few hundred dollars.
[QUOTE=MR-X;25859041]That is about the stupidest thing I've ever heard. So i take it you're the kind of person that thinks when a kid makes a stupid decision and steals a piece of candy he should have all rights stripped from him and be executed via firing squad.[/QUOTE] I was being sarcastic you thick fuck.
[QUOTE=ChestyMcGee;25859012]Yes how dare they try and defend themselves from getting blown out of fucking oblivion! (and no I'm not saying this punishment is just, but you can hardly blame the music industry for taking any scapegoat they can find and tearing it to shreds)[/QUOTE] Blown out of oblivion? Just fine them a dollar for each song, that is much more affordable.
[QUOTE=Tetracycline;25859056]Blown out of oblivion? Just fine them a dollar for each song, that is much more affordable.[/QUOTE] How would that benefit them at all? OH NO a $1 fine for stealing - I am put off pirating forever! Like I said, this woman is a scapegoat. They have fucked her over in an effort to scare people.
[QUOTE=ChestyMcGee;25859012]Yes how dare they try and defend themselves from getting blown out of fucking oblivion! (and no I'm not saying this punishment is just, but you can hardly blame the music industry for taking any scapegoat they can find and tearing it to shreds)[/QUOTE] Shouldn't it be blown [i]into[/i] oblivion? Being blown out of oblivion would be a really good thing assuming the explosion didn't hurt you that badly [editline]4th November 2010[/editline] [QUOTE=ChestyMcGee;25859097]How would that benefit them at all? OH NO a $1 fine for stealing - I am put off pirating forever! Like I said, this woman is a scapegoat. They have fucked her over in an effort to scare people.[/QUOTE] That's not how justice works. Facepunch is so quick to advocate "an eye for an eye", but in this thread you're advocating "1.5 million coins for 24 coins".
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