$27,750 For Sharing 37 Songs?
By CraftyCorner
@CraftyCorner (5600)
United States
February 28, 2010 3:44am CST
Regardless of the right or wrong of filesharing songs, I think that a fine of $27,750 for sharing of 37 songs is by far excessive.
*
This is the fine a court ordered a university student to pay for sharing 37 songs back when she was a high school cheerleader using the program Limewire.
*
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2010/02/former-teen-cheerleader-dinged-27750-for-infringing-37-songs/
*
I am not the only one who thinks this fine is excessive, if not another stupid Public Relations disaster for the Recording Industry of America.
Those who left comments on the story's original page and elsewhere on the Internet agree with me that this is PR suicide, especially when looking at the then child's photograph. This is no hardened thief. This kid fell out of the bassinet when she allegedly pinched those musical copies.
Those who left comments on the story's original page and elsewhere on the Internet agree with me that this is PR suicide, especially when looking at the then child's photograph. This is no hardened thief. This kid fell out of the bassinet when she allegedly pinched those musical copies.11 responses
@CraftyCorner (5600)
• United States
28 Feb 10
Tell me about it. Everything regarding the **AA's is circling the plug hole.
@CraftyCorner (5600)
• United States
4 Mar 10
The kids need to learn to obtain songs more safely if they are going to do this. They won't stop, as you cannot fight evolution. The consumer's been abused for decades and is now fighting back.
@topffer (42156)
• France
28 Feb 10
Such large -and larger- fees for sharing protected files were pronounced here in France until a new law, last september.
In my country, parents are responsible for young teens, and were afraid by the risk of being sentenced for some children's downloads unknown by them.
After a large debate between authors and internauts, the actual law works like this : for the first downloading or sharing of copyrighted material recorded, the internet connection's owner receive a warning by email, a second warning by a charged letter the second time, and the third time the case is send to a court for a fee (that can be as high as half a million dollar) and/or a maximum 2 years jail sentence, but the judge has also a new possibility : to shut the internet connection for a year.
1 person likes this
@scififan43 (2434)
• United States
3 Jul 10
Yes I agree it is accessive, but it is all about the money. my gf has limewire and has not had any problem. it seems they want to fine a single person and make them an example.
@CraftyCorner (5600)
• United States
3 Jul 10
Limewire is probably not the safest way to fileshare. I'm not talking about the RIAA, but viruses, malware, and badware. Then there's the problem of getting plain old crappy files
-
Emule would probably be a better path to get her songs, although it comes with a learning curve, and she would best be advised to get an IP blocker to protect herself from both the RIAA and the software crap that's floating around.
-
If continuing with Limewire is the option she still wants to take, installing the IP Blocker is still possible especially if you have a Windows PC. Peer Guardian works to protect you against most RIAA snoops and crappy software, although it isn't perfect. Nothing is.
-
http://phoenixlabs.org/pg2/
-
Emule would probably be a better path to get her songs, although it comes with a learning curve, and she would best be advised to get an IP blocker to protect herself from both the RIAA and the software crap that's floating around.
-
If continuing with Limewire is the option she still wants to take, installing the IP Blocker is still possible especially if you have a Windows PC. Peer Guardian works to protect you against most RIAA snoops and crappy software, although it isn't perfect. Nothing is.
-
http://phoenixlabs.org/pg2/@scififan43 (2434)
• United States
3 Jul 10
ok thanks for the info. she has had to deal with a viris that infected her computer. it is possible she got it from limewire. but where she got is is uncertaian.
1 person likes this
@lingli_78 (12822)
• Australia
1 Mar 10
this is a little bit going overboard i think... i understand the purpose is to make people appreciate the artist and save the music industry as well... but i still think that the fine is a little bit too hefty... hopefully she will be alright and the case can be solved in a peaceful manner... i feel bad for the girl... take care and have a nice day...
1 person likes this
@CraftyCorner (5600)
• United States
4 Mar 10
The ironic thing is the artists in question are unlikely to see a cent. Artists pretty much sign away their rights. It will be middle management and lawyers who will see this cash.
@Chad525 (349)
• Canada
28 Feb 10
I don't exactly agree with a fine of over $27,000, but an example should be made of.
They have every right to give her a hard slap on the hand for filesharing, but 27 grand is just stupid. Hit her with a $1000 fine....that enough would sting, but seriously, $27,000. That is a years tuition for a handful of stinking songs.
Makes me appreciate the fact that I still legally purchase music.
1 person likes this
@udnisak (609)
• Australia
11 Aug 10
this is too crazy.. $27,750 for 37 songs is way too much.. i think they fine this much of moeny is to prevent others from doing it.. however the law should go after the software developers.. not after the students.. if something like that happened in my country that person will have to choose the jail instead of paying the fine...
1 person likes this
@CraftyCorner (5600)
• United States
13 Aug 10
The funny thing being that filesharing in and of itself is not illegal.
-
http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch001042.htm
-
Is file sharing illegal?
-
No, it's 100% legal. In no state in the United States or in any other country is file sharing illegal. However, if you're sharing content that is protected by copyrights to other users that is illegal. Below are some good examples of where file sharing becomes illegal in many places around the world.
-
It is what is transferred between the two computers that determines if you are breaking the law. If the song or film has been copyrighted, you are going to get slapped hard. One such film is Bambi from Walt Disney. Walt Disney will sue you to the Moon.
-
If it hasn't been labeled (c), it will most likely be labeled Public Domain, Copyright Free, Open Source, and Student Use Images and Media.
-
http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic98.htm
copyright, Bambi, Public Domain, Copyright Free, Open Source, Student Use Images, Media
@Niltusk (131)
• United States
28 Feb 10
When I was in my young teens in the mid 80s, me and everyone I knew used to use our "high tech" cassete equipped "ghetto blasters" and tape the countdown every week.
Mwuahahaha, no one has caught up to for pirating the airwaves at such a young age.
More to the point imo theres more effective ways of dealing with the problem than persecuting 14 year olds.
1 person likes this
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
28 Feb 10
I think that is over the top but I can see why they did it. They are trying to frighten everyone else to download legally. They think that by picking on someone like this girl they'll drive the message home and dissuade other youngsters from "erring". My view is that you will never stop piracy. Years ago friends lent each other records and we taped them. Today people use P2P sites and get them that way. It's an extension of the same principle in my opinion.
1 person likes this
@CraftyCorner (5600)
• United States
28 Feb 10
You can't stop progress or competition, no matter how hard the digital media Mafia tries.
@CraftyCorner (5600)
• United States
28 Feb 10
In the old days that may have been true.
*
The RIAA has been skinning the artists alive for decades. Corporate fat cats have been making nearly all the money from the artists' recordings. Artists are lucky if they make up to ten cents a full CD.
*
There are hundreds of artists who have had their recordings and music outright stolen from them as well. Here is but one example from BoingBoing. This is a RECORD LABEL boys and girls!
*
http://boingboing.net/2009/12/07/major-record-labels.html
*
Major record labels rip off 300,000 songs for compilation CDs, may owe $60 billion in damages
*
Jazz great Chet Baker's estate is suing the major record labels for releasing his music on Canadian CDs without paying compensation (a common practice in Canada, where over 300,000 songs have been released on CD without compensation). The defendants -- Warner Music Canada, Sony BMG Music Canada, EMI Music Canada, and Universal Music Canada -- have admitted that they owe at least CAD$50 million, but Baker's estate is entitled to up to CAD$60 billion.
@sunnycool (12714)
• India
28 Feb 10
Its really insane---the entire world is full of scams and thefts---rather than suing them or controlling them----they're trying to show their power on a innocent girl who shared few songs with her friends
.I dont think she should pay the fine rather going for a good counterpart would be apt in this case.great day.
.I dont think she should pay the fine rather going for a good counterpart would be apt in this case.great day.@CraftyCorner (5600)
• United States
28 Feb 10
I agree with you. The RIAA is shooting itself in both feet with this lawsuit and all the others. People on the Internet (and off) talk. Mouth to mouth public relations is what makes or breaks a business, and this corporation is going to realize it...the brutal way!
@Firestorm0122 (735)
• United States
28 Feb 10
Let's see, $200 per song x 37 songs she shared with how many people? Most people can buy the tracks at a lesser price at the stores, as CDs usually run anywhere from $5.00 up to $24.99. Think about that one for a minute.
Is there any guarantee as to how many people she shared the song with? I'm guessing there isn't a way to tell, so the fee she must pay is likely biased. Worse yet, the artists to the songs may never even get to see most of the money with court costs and attorney fees.
However, I find it ridiculous that they're only going after her now and making this a public case. If anything it's just to humiliate her and put her to shame. The courts must be real proud of themselves now.
1 person likes this
@CraftyCorner (5600)
• United States
28 Feb 10
Yes, and many music CD's come with DRM which can play havoc with your digital players. Isn't that fun boys and girls?!?
