File Sharing Student Sued

beezay · 6 Jan 2010 at 16:22

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8441306.stm

A bit excessive perhaps?

I know for a fact there are people out there that download far more than this. Is he being used as an unfortunate example or is there more to the story then meets the eye?

Greenlizard0 · 6 Jan 2010 at 16:24

Oh dear, here we go again!

MowyTone · 6 Jan 2010 at 16:24

At the end of the day he broke the law. he idnt have to and there is the outcome. there is always someone that is going to be made an example of

Sp00n · 6 Jan 2010 at 16:24

lol 30 songs, surely he should pay 79p for each one or whatever the going rate is?

Gaygle · 6 Jan 2010 at 16:26

£400k fine for downloading 80 song?

Woah.

Cosimo · 6 Jan 2010 at 16:28

He was fined $22,500 per song.

Serves him right, he should have paid for them.

platinum87 · 6 Jan 2010 at 16:29

he doesnt have that money surely? so what exactly is the point?

apeZ · 6 Jan 2010 at 16:30

platinum87 said:
he doesnt have that money surely? so what exactly is the point?

To ruin his life, I suppose. I doubt Sony care.

Mr-White · 6 Jan 2010 at 16:33

Declare bankrupcy
.....
Profit ?

blood and stone comes to mind, he'll never pay any of it back being a student he'll have no money and no insentive to work

MW

Things change I've changed · 6 Jan 2010 at 16:37

Yes he broke the law but the fine I feel is completely disproportionate to the act that he committed, financially ruining someone's life over 30 illegally downloaded songs, rapists and murderers get off more lightly.

sammo62 · 6 Jan 2010 at 16:37

Mr-White said:
Declare bankrupcy
.....
Profit ?

blood and stone comes to mind, he'll never pay any of it back being a student he'll have no money and no insentive to work

MW

I'm pretty sure under US law that bankruptcy will not cover you for legal fines (ie you cant just default and not have to pay them).

The problem with these cases has always been one of perspective. The justice system is morbidly obese in the sense that murder gets you a smaller fine than illegally downloading 1 song.

Vesta_Man · 6 Jan 2010 at 16:37

SSL Encrypted Newsgroups f.t.w

geekyEd · 6 Jan 2010 at 16:54

Thats ridiculous, a few illegally downloaded songs = ruined life. WTF!

beezay · 6 Jan 2010 at 16:59

I was just thinking that the songs he downloaded equate to roughly £30. If someone got caught shoplifting £30 of items from somewhere like Superdrug they would probably get it put on their criminal record and receive a small fine, not a fine of nearly half a million £/$ (can't remember which).

apatia77 · 6 Jan 2010 at 16:59

It is ridicules, he should ask to do 30 hours of community service instead.

L0rdMike · 6 Jan 2010 at 17:04

Its because he shared them with other people no?

SiriusB · 6 Jan 2010 at 17:05

So he has to pay all that money, which will likely ruin his life, to made an example of. I bet it wont make one bit of difference.

For every person who gets fined in a token court case, there are a hundred new file sharers.

Glaucus · 6 Jan 2010 at 17:10

Gaygle said:
£400k fine for downloading 80 song?

Woah.

Unlike the UK they can fine what ever they want, the fine is not based on costs. He won't of downloaded 30 songs. That is what they had enough evidence to get convictions.

Know the punishment before you do the crime.

L0rdMike said:
Its because he shared them with other people no?

Nearly everyone who downloads also shares and distributes. This is where you can get screwed.

V4NT0M · 6 Jan 2010 at 17:13

BluZiff said:
Thats ridiculous, a few illegally downloaded songs = ruined life.

WON'T SOMEONE THINK OF THE RECORD LABELS!

steve-h · 6 Jan 2010 at 17:16

luls, i've down'd 10x more than that, just today

p.s whole things dumb, stop caring (thats their objective if you cannot tell)