RIAA: Boston University Grad to Pay $675,000

[kingnoobe]

Anybody who sticks up for the RIAA/MPAA.. This right here proves there as fucking crooked as any pirate out there. So piss off before you even start.

 

[ahslan]

what douchebags...seriously...that just reinforces my feelings of never purchasing music from those huge label companies...

 

[Guest]

he was probably downloading the songs on his schools network.

 

[nixname]

King-

Although I personally won't stick up for RIAA or the gradual dismantling of the public sphere and privacy rights, saying that no one should be allowed to defend them would make us just as fascist as we are accusing them of being. I for one would love to see if anyone can come up with compelling argument for the tactics/goals/practices of RIAA. So please...have at it.

 

[Guest]

I buy music off of itunes and in music stores, but you know what? from now on im going back to the good old napster days, I am personally going to pirate every movie and peice of music that isnt nailed down. Games, software Ebooks, I dont care any more. I have 3 terabytes of space on my hard drives... F@ck these idiots

 

[tipoo]

Fuck them. Seriously.


This could have been any of us, they are ruining lives with random precision.

 

[tayb]

Moral of the story? Stop stealing. Downloading is stealing and there isn't a single legitimate argument against it. "Down with the RIAA" isn't an argument.

These "fines" are ridiculous though. I liken downloading music online to stealing a CD from Best Buy. Stealing 30 songs would be considered a class C misdemeanor (under $50) and punishable by a maximum fine of $500.

Also should mention that the RIAA is not the judge and jury. The RIAA doesn't decide on the punishment they merely argue their case and let the jury decide. The jury can go anywhere from $750 to $150,000 per song and it is our peers, not the RIAA, that decided on $20,000 a song. I also have to believe that the RIAA offered this kid a settlement which was probably exponentially less than $20,000 a song.

 

[Guest]

"the current case focused only on thirty songs from The Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Green Day, and more."

So on top of a huge fine the whole world now knows of his mediocre taste in music lol

 

[tipoo]

[citation][nom]mediocrecollection[/nom]"the current case focused only on thirty songs from The Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana, Green Day, and more."So on top of a huge fine the whole world now knows of his mediocre taste in music lol[/citation]

Hey, only 2 of those 3 were mediocre, lol

 

[MrBradley]

Let's not also forget get that he liedin court which is also punishable by perjury. Simple lesson, don't download illegally. Stealing is stealing under and parameter whether it be stealing money from a bank, a car from a dealership, or music from the RIAA. I do not agree with the fine but stealing just not justify the fact that the RIAA might be assholes.

 

[dreamphantom_1977]

http://www.modot.mo.gov/newsroom/images/Hit-A-Worker-.jpg

I swear there was something in the amendments about the punishment fitting the crime.

It would be much cheaper if he stole 1000 cd's from a store and sold them on the streets.

This is an outrage, stealing might be stealing, but what makes it ok for them to fine so much money, and not other businesses? If someone steals my $3000 car can i sue them for 5 million? This guy's life is basically ruined if he can't claim bankruptcy. Feel sorry for kleptomaniacs....

 

[saifallofjmr]

I don't know what your all bitching about, for spamming this kid houses with USPS.com free boxes and 1000 dollars worth of pizza at his home I am now facing a Class 2 misdemeanor for "Cyber Stalking and harrasment", but the cop was highly rude to me using insults such as "Idiot, moron, douchebag, as.hole" and Even insulted my intelligence because I wanted to know how to spell his last name (Which is Knauer). So yeah if you are in Elkton Maryland, Watch out for the "bad a.ss knauer" cause he's on tha case!

Class 2= 500 Bucks and OR 6 month jail time.

 

[eddieroolz]

RIAA can't touch me, I'm in Canada!

Come get me, you collection of scumbags!

 

[rpmrush]

U were an a-hole and got fined 500 bux. This guy got fined 675k for 30 songs...30. He didn't hurt anyone. And what jury would come to the conclusion that $22,500 per song is a fair deal? They must have somehow picked the oldest, most uninformed morons they could find. It almost sounds like RIAA bribed the jury or at least hand picked it. This is completely bogus. A DUI would cost less. Actual stealing would cost less. There are some very serious, violent, and disgusting crimes that would cost less than this.

 

[Guest]

The US legal system appears somewhat strange from outside (and i suspect even stranger from within the country) - OJ? RIAA?

Wasnt even 1 RIAA case they were going after the mother of the kid who downloaded 20 songs? Cause then they can screw her out of a house rather than bankruptcy and 5 years to get it cleared (if that is similar there).

I find it unusual that masses of hackers arent just DOSsing their systems daily. you know - the wall, the revolution?

 

[Dekasav]

I bet if you actually stole all the CDs, the fine would be less.

 

[anamaniac]

Just went to my local china town...
Who knew they were already selling Transformers 2 DVDs? Only $6!!
And this guy has been in business for who the hell knows long...
(Legitimate DVD store at the front, and only got in the back because I was with a chinese friend...)

So who the hell cares about someone sharing for personal use?
What I care about is infringement for profit.

 

[bobbox1980]

I would just like to point out that the jury was able to fine him as low as $750 per song (I think even that is excessive but that is the law).

Your fellow citizens chose $22500 per song. It wasn't a fluke, it wasn't the dumbest jury around. There is a reason we have the drug war, there is a reason things like circumcision and FGM exist. The human race is quite fucked up.

 

[c0r3f1ght3r]

I wonder how they get caught... I would rather goto jail than pay over half a million dollars... for THIRTY songs... copyright laws are ridiculous now... just shows how much big brother wants to rape u.

 

[kingnoobe]

I never said going after somebody for pirating you're stuff was wrong.. Going after them for 22.5 k per song is some crooked ass shit.

Only way this would be different is if he was selling the songs. Then the RIAA might have a point. But as of now their just a bunch of fucking lawyers that want more money. If you think their doing this out of princable well that's just fucking funny.