Music downloads: American music industry files million-dollar lawsuit
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has sued 24-year-old student Joel Tenenbaum for $1 million in damages. He is alleged to have downloaded at least seven songs via the Kazaa.com platform four years ago and to have made 816 tracks available for download. Tenenbaum considered the initial demand of $12,000 to be too high, which is why an out-of-court settlement with the plaintiffs failed.
The Recording Industry Association of America RIAA has sued 24-year-old student Joel Tenenbaum for one million dollars in damages. Four years ago, he allegedly downloaded at least seven songs via the Kazaa.com platform and offered 816 titles for download. Tenenbaum felt that the initial demand of 12,000 dollars was too high, which is why an out-of-court settlement with the plaintiffs failed.
The RIAA is basing its lawsuit on the "Digital Theft Deterrence and Copyright Damages Improvement Act" of 1999, according to which an intentional copyright infringement can be sued for up to 150,000 dollars per work. However, file sharing has become a part of social reality, according to Julian Finn, press spokesman for the culture flat rate platform Fairsharing.de, in an interview with Pressetext.ch.
However, there is a tendency within the music industry to recognize that the copyright battles on the Internet cannot be won, says Finn. However, a rethink in this direction is only taking place very slowly. In recent years, the RIAA has sent around 30,000 letters to US households accusing individuals or families of illegal file sharing. However, none of the fines of between 3,000 and 5,000 dollars, which are usually offered in lieu of legal action, go to the artists, said Finn. He suspects that this is to open up an additional revenue channel. Tenenbaum's lawyer Charles Nesson argues that the RIAA is using the law to prosecute as a civil authority. In addition, the legal basis to which the RIAA refers is unconstitutional.
The RIAA is basing its lawsuit on the "Digital Theft Deterrence and Copyright Damages Improvement Act" of 1999, according to which an intentional copyright infringement can be sued for up to 150,000 dollars per work. However, file sharing has become a part of social reality, according to Julian Finn, press spokesman for the culture flat rate platform Fairsharing.de, in an interview with Pressetext.ch.
However, there is a tendency within the music industry to recognize that the copyright battles on the Internet cannot be won, says Finn. However, a rethink in this direction is only taking place very slowly. In recent years, the RIAA has sent around 30,000 letters to US households accusing individuals or families of illegal file sharing. However, none of the fines of between 3,000 and 5,000 dollars, which are usually offered in lieu of legal action, go to the artists, said Finn. He suspects that this is to open up an additional revenue channel. Tenenbaum's lawyer Charles Nesson argues that the RIAA is using the law to prosecute as a civil authority. In addition, the legal basis to which the RIAA refers is unconstitutional.
