You have got to be kidding me!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_tec_music_downloading

MINNEAPOLIS – A replay of the nation's only file-sharing case to go to trial has ended with the same result — a Minnesota woman was found to have violated music copyrights and must pay huge damages to the recording industry.

A federal jury ruled Thursday that Jammie Thomas-Rasset willfully violated the copyrights on 24 songs, and awarded recording companies $1.92 million, or $80,000 per song.

Thomas-Rasset's second trial actually turned out worse for her. When a different federal jury heard her case in 2007, it hit Thomas-Rasset with a $222,000 judgment.

$80,000 per song?

A typical band who is lucky enough to have an album go platinum would earn just a little bit more than that figure from all of the million albums sold, on a per song basis.

Figure most bands earn around $1 per CD and assuming the average album has about 12 songs on it, or $83,333 per song.

This is just another proof of the greediness and arrogance of record executives.

I would hope that this album was at least platinum, and that they were able to prove to the court that she was responsible for preventing the album from going double platinum by downloading those songs.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/18/2009 11:39PM by Thurston Moore.

I hate to break it to you but all cases of piracy are like that. Software piracy is somewhere between 80,000 - 100,000 per instance.

So basically, just fucking pay for shit and you won't have a problem.

boredom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I hate to break it to you but all cases of piracy
> are like that. Software piracy is somewhere
> between 80,000 - 100,000 per instance.
>
> So basically, just fucking pay for shit and you
> won't have a problem.

What a simple concept...pay for what you download....dont speed...pay your taxes!

Registered Voter...a Big talking coward..big man on FFXU...little man in life.

boredom Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I hate to break it to you but all cases of piracy
> are like that. Software piracy is somewhere
> between 80,000 - 100,000 per instance.
>
> So basically, just fucking pay for shit and you
> won't have a problem.


Cara Duckworth, a spokeswoman for the RIAA, said the industry remains willing to settle. She refused to name a figure, but acknowledged Thomas-Rasset had been given the chance to settle for $3,000 to $5,000 earlier in the case.

"Since Day One we have been willing to settle this case and we remain willing to do so," Duckworth said.


I don't think the industry is being unreasonable. This is blatant theft. If she had lifted 24 CDs from a Best Buy, guess what that sentence would have been? A lot worse than what the industry is willing to settle for, that's for damn sure.

I think her sentence should be determined by the type of music she stole.

For example, if she stole Led Zepplin or The Beatles, then she pays a shit ton.

If she steals Milli Vanilla or 50 Cent, they should pay her a shit ton.
.
Attachments:

wow so if she cant appeal anymore and cant pay the debt in her lifetime does the debt pass onto her children when they become adults because they were in the house hold downloading the music?

oh come on, $80K is a deal for a song! those itunes people are just mad.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

She was not busted for illegally downloading, she was busted for sharing (i.e., illegally distributing) copyrighted material.

This is a very important distinction.

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13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.

MrMephisto Wrote:
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> She was not busted for illegally downloading, she
> was busted for sharing (i.e., illegally
> distributing) copyrighted material.
>
> This is a very important distinction.

that's true. guess how many copies she shared? they dont like sharing that kind of information because it's usually really low and not even sharing the entire file, only portions. no worries though, the artists will get their royalties from this case. oh wait, i forgot, the artists get $0 from court cases. it's a good thing they are helping out those poor artists.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."

Gravis Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> MrMephisto Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > She was not busted for illegally downloading,
> she
> > was busted for sharing (i.e., illegally
> > distributing) copyrighted material.
> >
> > This is a very important distinction.
>
> that's true. guess how many copies she shared?
> they dont like sharing that kind of information
> because it's usually really low and not even
> sharing the entire file, only portions. no
> worries though, the artists will get their
> royalties from this case. oh wait, i forgot, the
> artists get $0 from court cases. it's a good
> thing they are helping out those poor artists.

That's why I hate the RIAA with every ounce of my being. They are absolutely necessary for any musician who sees a moderate amount of success, but they are completely greedy and self-serving.

She actually had to go to retrial because the judge mistakenly told the jury at the first one that there had to be proof of other people downloading it for it to be considered a copyright infringement (I think I remember that correctly). Not like that's a terrifying precedent or anything.

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13 4826 0948 82695 25847. Yes.

Illegally sharing music = $1.92 million

Getting loaded (double the legal limit) and killing a guy on his way to work with your car at 7 in the morning = 30 days in jail (actually 24)

WashingTone Locian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Illegally sharing music = $1.92 million
>
> Getting loaded (double the legal limit) and
> killing a guy on his way to work with your car at
> 7 in the morning = 30 days in jail (actually 24)




...The sad route our judicial system has gone down...

As the labels continue to sue file-sharers—and generate press clippings
that cite unchallenged the labels’ crazily high estimates of their alleged
losses — it’s important to remember that the real criminals are the labels
themselves. They routinely underpay royalties, and then make it punitively
difficult to audit.

http://www.hitsville.org/2009/06/08/creative-accounting-never-goes-away/

Illegally sharing music = $1.92 million

Getting loaded (double the legal limit) and killing a guy on his way to work with your car at 7 in the morning = 30 days in jail (actually 24)

And you wonder why this country is so fucked up.

GDF Vince Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Illegally sharing music = $1.92 million
>
> Getting loaded (double the legal limit) and
> killing a guy on his way to work with your car at
> 7 in the morning = 30 days in jail (actually 24)
>
> And you wonder why this country is so fucked up.


Just post as yourself Gravis....it's ok.

Registered Voter...a Big talking coward..big man on FFXU...little man in life.

Vince(1) Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> GDF Vince Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Illegally sharing music = $1.92 million
> >
> > Getting loaded (double the legal limit) and
> > killing a guy on his way to work with your car
> at
> > 7 in the morning = 30 days in jail (actually
> 24)
> >
> > And you wonder why this country is so fucked
> up.
>
>
> Just post as yourself Gravis....it's ok.


i think it's hilarious that you think i post under other names.


"the wisdom of the wise will perish, the intelligence of the intelligent will vanish."