VivirLatino

The RIAA is at it again, trying to “teach people a lesson” about illegal file sharing — what they call “piracy” — through our judicial system. I guess they think the lesson is best taught by going after innocuous users of file-sharing sites like Kazaa, like Minnesota mother of 4 Jammie Thomas-Rasset, who has been saddled with a 1.92 million dollar fine for sharing 24 songs. That’s $80,000 per song.

Thomas-Rasset sat glumly with her chin in hand as she heard the jury’s finding of willful infringement, which increased the potential penalty. She raised her eyebrows in surprise when the jury’s penalty of $80,000 per song was read.

Outside the courtroom, she called the $1.92 million figure “kind of ridiculous” but expressed resignation over the decision.

“There’s no way they’re ever going to get that,” said Thomas-Rasset, a 32-year-old mother of four from the central Minnesota city of Brainerd. “I’m a mom, limited means, so I’m not going to worry about it now.”

Her attorney, Kiwi Camara, said he was surprised by the size of the judgment. He said it suggested that jurors didn’t believe Thomas-Rasset’s denials of illegal file-sharing, and that they were angry with her.

AP reports that the jury could have fined Thomas-Rasset up to $150,000 per song. So she got off easy then?

I find it interesing that a jury was so harsh with her. Did they not understand what the “crime” was? She had her music collection open for sharing with others, she didn’t kill any of the artists who recorded the music.

What kind of country do we live in when someone gets fined nearly 2 million dollars for that and others get away, literally, with murder?

Via / AP