Comments on: Woman Faces The Music, Loses Download Case

Jury Finds Minn. Woman Violated Copyright Law, Orders Her To Pay Record Companies $220K

[pwrslm]

why arent they suing pay radio stations too? after all...the decline is CD sales can be directly attributable to the high quality signal sent out by these stations, allowing anyone in the world to record the songs...

then again, when you make something, and throw it out the window, like on the airwaves, what copyright law should protect you? passing on what came in my window for free, out the other window, should not be a violation of anyones rights...nor should sharing music that i buy from the local music store on CD with friends on the net....

big money had perverted the justice in this whole issue, and laws have been made that violate both the rights of those of us who bought and paid for this music time and again, and the enjoyment of the artistic talents that these green monsters use to prey upon society with.

[dovestar]

brianbwb, you are forgetting one important point. You don''t SEE the EULA UNTIL you open the package.

[krakosmako]

Please get real. Nobody shares the actual cd quality files and should not be prosecuted for any crime for a bad mp3 reproduction. It is only the ignorant jurors who commited a crime here. If you record a song off the air and put it on your computer or stick it in your cd player, what crime is that? If i sing in the shower will the music police bust down the door? are midi ring tones a copyright infringment?

[vincebrewste]

Before I retired, my livelihood depended on copyright law to protect the intellectual property I developed in the form of computer software. Distributing software illegally -- whether or not you get paid for doing so -- is analagous to distributing music illegally.

Several years ago my business partner refused to pay ASCAP fees to cover live performces at our venue. When ASCAP came to collect and he told me about it, I said we should pay the fees. He countered that performers should pay any such fees, not us.

Our agreement (even though I was the majority stockholder) was that he would make decisions and run the business as he saw fit -- and that I wouldn''t second-guess him. I held up my end of the bargain even though he made the wrong decision.

After failing for several years in their attempts to collect fees, ASCAP sued. Our lawyer told us that the copyright laws were ironclad and that there was no doubt we would lose if we went to court.

We gladly settled out of court for a few thousand dollars -- maybe less, in fact, than we would have been out if we had been paying the fees all along.

Vince Brewster

[uberbeta]

Some of these larger corporations not only have branches that distribute music, but also make computers and laptops, burnable media, and Internet access. These tools are not deliberately manufactured to pirate music or video yet can be used to. I also hope that these companies employ public relations and marketing firms. The industry as a whole needs a few good pr firms to get them back on track and more in line with public opinion and trends. This may make a bigger impact on the bottom line than any suit.

[boston1954]

You know sony should sue themselves since they manufacture CD and DVD burners Posted by cyinzl8r at 03:07 PM
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Excellent point!!!

[uberbeta]

Is there any poster that actually supports this type of lawsuit? Yes, she violated copyright law, but then the recompense for the violation is ludicrous. The fine is almost unpayable.

I wonder if the decline in record sales is not only linked to the declining quality of music, and the availability of music for download, but also a sharp and marked decline in good will toward the industry as a whole. The good will and good name of an industry can be as valuable or more valuable than its physical assets.

So, the music industry is seen as a bully, threatens individuals and organizations with large suits, sues the ones that do not pay an out of court settlement, wins large settlements due to those law suits.
Does this statement make you want to buy music- a) more music b) less music c) unchanged amount ?
Do law suits like, RIAA vs. Jammie Thomas, a) raise b) lower c) not change your, opinion of the music industry as a whole?
Do you find it interesting that the same industry that is prosecuting music piracy, also may encourage it through offering free music, and also making some of the hardware and software necessary to download and process digital files? a) yes b)no c)more information needed.

My heart goes out to Mrs. Thomas. I feel sorry that she lost this case, and will face the penalty. Yes, this lawsuit does send a message, but is it the message that the industry really wants to send?

[michelle7772]

I''ll never buy another recording from these companies again. Oh wait, I wouldn''t anyway. I''m still not going to :P
This poor woman... at the very worst, she is guilty of theft. These copyright fines were never meant to be imposed on individuals who are NOT profiting off resale and distribution. And, on the scale that it''s occuring, it just isn''t unenforcable. It is up to RIAA to find a way to remain pertinent- not the courts'' job to make us respect their authoritie.

the record companies dont own these songs..the writersc and musicians doe.,the owner of the mastertapes.....which is why the record companies are freaking out silently cause the law says every band is now entitled to there originl mastertapes..which make them legaly the only ones the can go after copyrighters...the record companies owe all those one hit wonder bands billions of dollars..they re the ones who should be on trial...check out the case of the kingsman"louie louie"against the record companies a couple of years back..how they fought tooth and nail and the kingsmen won there mastertapes bck which was a deathblow for the record companies...all bands have to do now is pay a 1,500 dollar legal fee and there masters and royalties are theres

[lurxst]

The Music Industry of the past is on its last legs. It used to be that artists needed these corporations to help them make, market and distribute records. Big, fragile discs of vinyl.

Todays artists, and I am not talkng about these pre-fashioned, ready made American Idols, but real musicians, are able to make and distribute their music however they want. They can attract a following and sell tickets for live performances. No longer is the music biz any sort of bastion of hope for becoming a celebrity or mega-rich. Musicians can make a living for certain, hopefully continue to turn out good music (and of course one person''s good music is another person''s fingernails-on-chalkboard).

None of my current favorite bands have made any sort of living from record sales. They do it by hard work and touring.

So grab some popcorn and lets all watch the death of the RIAA on TV.