Music pirate fined $US1.92 million

[admin]

A US jury has ordered a 32-year-old woman to pay $US1.92 million ($A2.4 million) in damages for illegally downloading 24 songs in a high-profile digital piracy case.

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Thomas-Rasset had been convicted previously, in October 2007, and ordered to pay $US220,000 ($A275,000) in damages but the judge who presided over that trial threw out the verdict calling it "wholly disproportionate" and "oppressive".

http://www.theage.com.au/technology/music-pirate-fined-24m-20090619-cn4u.html

This is just ridiculous. How can it be a sensible decision to make a single mother to give a multi-billion dollar industry $1.92m?

[admin]

Damages of $1.9 million could backfire on music industry

But a question arose after the verdict about whether the sheer size of the damages could lead to a backlash against an industry that is already portrayed in some quarters as overreaching. Sony BMG attorney Wade Leak, who testified at the trial, said he was "shocked" by the damages award.