Comments on: Woman Faces The Music, Loses Download Case

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

[nunayobuznes]

The real problem I see here is that the judge ruled that she is guilty by placing the files in an accessible folder. In the future will hackers claim that a CIA agent or business executive placed information or files that they obtained into an "accessible" file? Obviously, if they were able to obtain that information it was indeed accessible. This judge has opened up Pandora%u2019s Box as to who is the guilty party when it no longer is the crime to steal the music, but to have your own paid for copy of the music on your computer. Last year, the college I graduated from "lost" sensitive data to a hacker. Should I sue them for having places such data in an accessible file?

[klingon69]

Next thing you know when you sing "Happy Birthday" to someone, someone else will be standing next to you demanding fifty cents.
Posted by tribe at 06:04 AM : Oct 05, 2007

Actually, the song "Happy Birthday to You" was copyrighted by two ladies, and yes technically, you should have to pay some sort of royalties on it when it is used.

[southcst1]

The damages may be ludicrous, but there were about 8,000 people before her who settled their similar cases for about $3,000. She should have known that she had no case, a real no-brainer. Now she has a judgement against her for $220,000 and $67,000 in legal fees. She really showed them didn''t she.

[klingon69]

wow.. aren''''t laws made to be broken? i used to take my cassette tapes and record off of the radio... back in the 80''''s.. its basically the same thing.. i shared those with my friends.. gave them as gifts.. as a child it was a novel idea for a personalized gift.. and i agree.. these artists are not going broke.. they should be honored that we even listen to them.. my husband plays music he writes and i much prefer it to whats on the radio anyway.. maybe i should record him and share his music.. he wouldnt mind.. he would be blown away by people finding him talented..
Posted by sofi2hot at 07:19 PM : Oct 04, 2007

Back in the early 1970s, not long after cassette recorders came on the market, A cousin of mine and I used to correspond by recording and mailing tapes to each other. To fill some space I would record new records that I had bought and send them to her. I guess we were breaking the law then.

[klingon69]

Just file for bankruptcy, include the judgement in it.

[neitherone]

Appeal!!!

[yoyoyo19]

The damages rewarded are ludicrous. Aren''t you really only harmed if those downloaders would have actually purchased those files if downloading weren''t an option? I know personally about 98% of my downloading is stuff I''m only getting because it''s free. Hence the beauty of downloading. It exposes me to a million more things I wouldn''t otherwise have seen or heard, thereby generating funds these companies wouldn''t have earned without the aid of file sharing. For instance, I''m attending a concert this Wednesday, and I can say for a fact, I wouldn''t be attending if it weren''t for file sharing. I think the RIAA and the artists actually owes her money, for advertising.

[clarklzeuss]

I think the whole "copyright violation" idea has gotten WAY out of hand. First of all, the whole purpose of a copyright is to prevent plagiarism: someone copying your work and falsely claiming it as their own. Downloading a song from Kazaa does not equal plagiarism. Stealing, maybe, but let''s get the facts straight, RIAA jerks. And please don''t give us any of that baloney about "protecting musical value." Please. You don''t care about music or art or any such truly valuable thing, but only about money. This whole ridiculous circus is about MONEY. You''re greedy, so you want more of it, and you figure, "Hey! Not enough people are buying our mass-produced, cookie-cutter garbage, so to make up our revenues, let''s sue people for $90,000 per song. That''s like selling 6,000 CDs, but easier!"

[mrdownloader-2009]

I think we need to declare a hunting season on lawyers.. they are *** up the entire country with useless lawsuits and rediculous cases.. Maybe a weekly limit of 6 would be good.. then we could put the others in concentration camps and re-educate them to do domething usefull, like running a street sweeper or pushing a broom at Union Station.. that is if they aren''t so phyiscally inept that they couldnt even do the most simple task.

[mrdownloader-2009]

bj_onDrSmithin1978 said: BTW: Legally, you do NOT buy the CD (or MP3 file). You buy a license to listen to the work privately (not for public performance or distribution).

Good... then I''m through with these cd.. I''ll be returning them to you and collecting my money. And as for "You''ll take my $200." I dont think so simpleton.. maybe you can do like most cowardly lawyers and run and hide and hope to pay off enough judges to get a decision in your favor.. I''ve yet to meet a Lawyer that could do more than whine like a little biotch.