The penalty for downloading songs – 1.9 million dollars
U.S. Federal Court has imposed on the 32-year-old woman from Minnesota, a fine of 1.9 million dollars. Jemma Thomas-Rasset found guilty of illegally downloading and distributing 24 music from the Internet. The court decided that it should pay a fine of 80 thousand dollars for each downloaded song.
This case is the first case of its kind in the United States, counsel for defendant said Joe Sibley. Defender said he and his client shocked by the amount of payments, given the fact that the site from which these songs were downloaded, they cost 99 cents. Protection is going to appeal.
representative of American record companies (RIAA) Kara Dukvort stated that the Association is satisfied that the Court recognized the obvious and imposed a fine on the accused. We appreciate the work of the court and the fact that he has taken the case with the same seriousness that we are – she said.
Thomas-Rasset downloaded songs of such artists as No Doubt, Linkin Park, Gloria Estefan and Sheryl Crow. According to the record companies, the free flow of references to these records has deprived them of a very serious income, and this fact is explained that the sum of fines. Thomas-Rasset, a mother of four children, lives in Minnesota and works at the Indian company.
This is the second indictment the court decision on the case. The first decision, issued in 2007, was sent back due to an error in the wording of the court verdict. This Court has increased the amount of the fine because the last time it was only 220 thousand dollars.