Judge lowers $2 million music piracy fine against Jammie Thomas-Rasset
A judge has finally said that the $2 million judgement against Jammie Thomas-Rasset for music piracy was excessive, and he has lowered it to $54,000.
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has been trying to make an example of Minnesota resident Jammie Thomas-Rasset for some time now. Since October 2007, Ms. Thomas-Rasset has been in the news for having downloaded music via KaZaA, and that the RIAA was going to make an example of her as the first of over 2,000 people they planned to sue for illegally sharing digital music files.
After losing her initial trial, the ruling was for $222,000, or $9,250 for each of the 24 songs she had shared via the peer-to-peer network. That ruling was overturned due to improper jury instruction, but the retrial didn’t go so well as that jury decided she should pay $2 million. Ms. Thomas-Rasset decided to appeal that ruling, and now that judge is still fining her, but it’s the easiest pill to swallow thus far.
According to CNET, Michael Davis, chief judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Minnesota, lowered the award to $54,000 and said, “The need for deterrence cannot justify a $2 million verdict for stealing and illegally distributing 24 songs for the sole purpose of obtaining free music.”
Both Ms. Thomas-Rasset and the RIAA have seven days to appeal the ruling, but sources tell CNET that it looks like both parties will begin new negotiations for a settlement based on this new dollar amount. Sources are also saying that the RIAA is tired of the case and just wants it to go away as they don’t want to throw any more resources at a case they never wanted to go to trial in the first place.
From the sounds of it, Ms. Thomas-Rasset’s long, strange journey may finally be coming to an end.
Related Posts:
