$200 000 for downloading music? fair or unfair???
In the first US trial to challenge the illegal downloading of music on the internet, a single mother from Minnesota was ordered to pay $US220,000 ($247,549) for sharing 24 songs online.
Jammie Thomas, 30, was the first among more than 26,000 people sued by the world’s most powerful recording companies to refuse a settlement after being slapped with a lawsuit by the Recording Industry of America and six major music labels.
She turned down an offer to pay a few thousand dollars in fines and instead took the case to court.
Source: http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/fined-us220000-for-24-songs/2007/10/05/1191091325005.html
Why did Sony get away with a tiny fine, when they sold us music CDs loaded with spyware? Shouldn’t they pay $10000 to each person that bought such a CD and suffered damages?
And why do they continue to sell boom boxes that have cassette recorders built into them. Isn’t recording a song off the radio the same as stealing music? Last time I checked, the SONY name was still on such boom boxes at the stores.
And why can’t we return CDs that we buy, and don’t like. Didn’t our money get stolen in this case?
How many times do we need to compensate the record labels and artists for the same recording? If I bought Pink Floyd on LP once, then on prerecorded cassette, then on CD, and now on mp3, or iTunes, shouldn’t there be a point where I could play “Dark Side of the Moon” on any device or format I choose – without having to shell out more money for this old recording.
Why do big corporations get away with their scams, faulty products, or antics, while the little guy gets burned?
BBC News Blunder – Guy Goma