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ivan@stellysee.de
| From | jpgr Live <jpgr1960@yahoo.com> |
| Subject | RIAA sues 12 year old girl for internet downloads |
| Date | Wed, 10 Sep 2003 04:00:30 -0700 (PDT) |
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I think they are scared to pik on someone there own
size. Big Bullys!
WASHINGTON - A 12-year-old girl in New York who was
among the first to be sued by the record industry for
sharing music over the Internet is off the hook after
her mother agreed Tuesday to pay $2,000 to settle the
lawsuit, apologizing and admitting that her daughter's
actions violated U.S. copyright laws.
The hurried settlement involving Brianna LaHara, an
honors student, was the first announced one day after
the Recording Industry Association of America (news -
web sites) filed 261 such lawsuits across the country.
Lawyers for the RIAA said Brianna's mother, Sylvia
Torres, contacted them early Tuesday to negotiate.
"We understand now that file-sharing the music was
illegal," Torres said in a statement distributed by
the recording industry. "You can be sure Brianna won't
be doing it anymore."
Brianna added: "I am sorry for what I have done. I
love music and don't want to hurt the artists I love."
The case against Brianna was a potential minefield for
the music industry from a public relations standpoint.
The family lives in a city housing project on New
York's Upper West Side, and they said they mistakenly
believed they were entitled to download music over the
Internet because they had paid $29.99 for software
that gives them access to online file-sharing
services.
Even in the hours before the settlement was announced,
Brianna was emerging as an example of what critics
said was overzealous enforcement by the powerful music
industry.
The top lawyer for Verizon Communications Inc. charged
earlier Tuesday during a Senate hearing that music
lawyers had resorted to a "campaign against
12-year-old girls" rather than trying to help
consumers turn to legal sources for songs online.
Verizon's Internet subsidiary is engaged in a
protracted legal fight against the RIAA over copyright
subpoenas sent Verizon customers.
Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., also alluded to Brianna's
case.
"Are you headed to junior high schools to round up the
usual suspects?" Durbin asked RIAA President Cary
Sherman during a Senate Judiciary hearing.
Durbin said he appreciated the piracy threat to the
recording industry, but added, "I think you have a
tough public relations campaign to go after the
offenders without appearing heavy-handed in the
process."
Sherman responded that most people don't shoplift
because they fear they'll be arrested.
"We're trying to let people know they may get caught,
therefore they should not engage in this behavior,"
Sherman said. "Yes, there are going to be some kids
caught in this, but you'd be surprised at how many
adults are engaged in this activity."
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