This is probably the most bizzare and insane case i have ever heard about piracy.Jamie thomas-Rasset,a mother of four from minnesota has been penalized $1.5 million for downloading 24 songs illegally from internet.She downloaded those 24 songs from peer-to-peer file-sharing network Kazaa in 2006.She was ordered to pay 62,500 dollars for each of the 24 songs, a total of 1.5 million dollars. It's a heavy penalty considering the 24 songs would only cost approximately $24 on iTunes, which was Thomas-Rasset' argument, too.
In her first trial, in 2007, the jury demanded she pay $222,000 for violating the copyright law.Thomas-Rasset maintained she wasn't the computer user who did the file sharing, and her legal team cited an error in jury instruction to secure a second trial in 2009 that ended with a much harsher result: an astronomical fine of $1.92 million. However, later in 2010 U.S. District Court judge found the $1.92 million penalty against Thomas-Rasset to be "monstrous and shocking" and "gross injustice" before lowering it to $54,000, or $2,250 a song. Thomas-Rasset and her legal team has decided to appeal this decision, too.This story has the potential to drag on well into the next decade -- when for $1.5 million, all of Thomas-Rasset's four kids could finish law school and take up the fight on her behalf.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), was pleased by the most recent decision, even if it has no intention to collect the $1.5 million from Thomas-Rasset. "Now with three jury decisions behind us along with a clear affirmation of Ms. Thomas-Rasset's willful liability, it is our hope that she finally accepts responsibility for her actions," the RIAA said in a statement. Earlier, the RIAA offered Thomas-Rasset the opportunity to end the legal battle for $25,000 and an admission of guilt; Thomas-Rasset declined.
We should be cautious enough while downloading. Nice family, but what to do
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