This is madness. Srsly.

Link

Woman fined $1.9 MILLION ($1,900,000) for illegally downloading, get ready for it- 24 songs.

I am dumbstruck. Regardless of your opinion on piracy, this is insane. GG, RIAA. Burn in hell, kthnx.

RoboCop wrote: I don't know if they fine people with such a big number to prove a point or just for the hell of it, but they really need to go for the people that have downloaded hundreds and thousands of songs. There are so many households that are illegally downloading  music, yet they seem to always screw over the ones that have done the least.

i would have to pay 28 million if they charged me the same amount per song as they did her

I would have to pay 204,160,000 million if they charged me the same amount.

What planet are you people on that think this is justified? She was convicted of stealing the equivalent of 2 C.D.'s. Let's say $30. How can a sane person think that $1.9 million is a fair punishment for $30 of stolen goods? Think about what you are saying.

Regardless of illegality, filesharing is here to stay. If I was convicted for every pirated song I have at the same rate, I would be out $1,200,000,000. How does that make sense at all? How are damages this high justified?

If piracy is really stealing like the RIAA is always saying, why not charge people with theft instead of this crap about copyright infringement? 

The funny thing is, even though they are never going to collect this money, even if they could, the artists wouldn't see a dime of it. It makes me irate that anyone can agree with this. Just more reason to support independent labels and artists like Radiohead that know how to adapt to changing market models instead of fighting against them.

I wish she didn't change the story and try to hide evidence. Rather than saying "I didn't do it", she should have been honest. That way she would have way more credibility, and could have used this case as a chance to show how ridiculous the RIAA actually is. 

I love how they have to make an example of a single mother. Even if she did have 2400 songs, that's a drop in the bucket compared what other people have. There is no way the RIAA could even begin to collect enough evidence to prosecute even a small percentage of the total filesharers out there. It is impossible to have enough resources and manpower to even start. 

Filesharing is something much bigger than them.

Peter Parker wrote: For those of you who favor legalizing filesharing - should that also apply to software?  I buy a copy of Rosetta Stone for a zillion dollars, and post it on the internet for public free download?  That's ok?

I think that the software, music, movie, and television industries should stop looking as filesharing as a malignant tumor.  They are never going to be able to prevent filesharing, it's simply not economically viable.  As far as I see it, they don't have a choice except to change their business models to adapt to the changing ways their products are distributed.  If that means that in the next ten years we no longer see hard copy DVDs and CDs being produced for video games, movies, and music, so be it.  But if the iTunes store is the best that big business can do to distribute its wares to the public, they're going to to be fighting this battle forever.

*EDIT* Lovin' the new title.


Edited by ParielIsBack - 19 June 2009 at 11:56am

ParielIsBack wrote: Peter Parker wrote: For those of you who favor legalizing filesharing - should that also apply to software?  I buy a copy of Rosetta Stone for a zillion dollars, and post it on the internet for public free download?  That's ok? I think that the software, music, movie, and television industries should stop looking as filesharing as a malignant tumor.  They are never going to be able to prevent filesharing, it's simply not economically viable.  As far as I see it, they don't have a choice except to change their business models to adapt to the changing ways their products are distributed.  If that means that in the next ten years we no longer see hard copy DVDs and CDs being produced for video games, movies, and music, so be it.  But if the iTunes store is the best that big business can do to distribute its wares to the public, they're going to to be fighting this battle forever. *EDIT* Lovin' the new title.

I agree with this entirely. The RIAA needs to realize that filesharing probably isn't depriving them of significant revenue. Didn't record companies say that radio was going to do the same thing? There's a lot of anecdotal evidence that filesharing can actually help artists. A lot of bands are starting to let buyers name their own price for their music, even for free. 

Another thought that was brough up in chat- What about the film industry? Plenty of people pirate films, but do we ever hear of some association of actors suing individuals for downloading The Big Lebowski?

The movie industry definitely doesn't lose as much money as they say. Every movie I have ever downloaded I only watched because I could download it. Stuff I wanted to see, but wouldn't have spent the $10 admission. I know I am not the only one.

I remember when the Wolverine movie leaked. I read an article that had a quote that went something like "If people download this they may not like it". I forget the exact quote, but my first thought was "maybe they should have made a better movie then?"

Same with record companies. I have learned of and listened to many bands only because I could get their albums for free. What did I do after I started listening? I went to their shows, and bought Tshirts.

I just am amazed at the statements made. So it would be ok for someone to take your work or product for free, just because they can, and you all would have no problem with that? Just because you are a poor college student does not excuse the behavior. Yes the lables get the majority, but it is thier manufacturing, marketing and transportation costs. How many of you would work at a project for months, expect to get paid for it, and see your neighbor stealing your project and not paying. All of you, and that is the problem, most of you see nothing wrong with this behavior unless it directly affects you.
It is just a matter of time before there are things in place to catch the file sharer's, and illegal downloaders, and the cyber-cops will be there. You all are just plain robbing the artis and lables, just without a gun, and think that it is OK.....says a lot for this generation.