Jammie Thomas Hit With Massive Fine (Again) Over Pirating Music

RIAA continues pursit of millions in case

Nov 4 2010, 12:37pm CDT | by Shane McGlaun

Jammie Thomas Hit With Massive Fine (Again) Over Pirating Music

When the RIAA started its legal campaign and singled out who would get warning letters and who would get a massive suit it apparently did so arbitrarily. One of the folks that was taken to court was Jammie Thomas and the case is still running after a Jury awarded the RIAA a verdict of $1.9 million over a year ago.

Thomas and her attorney appealed that case and it went back to court. This was after the first jury back in 2007 said that Thomas had to pay a fine of $222,000. That verdict was tossed out after the Judge in the case said he had given jurors an erroneous set of instructions and set a retrial.

The judge in the case knocked that $1.9 million award back to $54,000 calling the huge $1.9 million verdict "monstrous and shocking." You think? The RIAA offered to settle with Thomas at the time the award was knocked back to $54,000 for the sum of $25,000, Thomas and her attorney turned the deal down. In typical RIAA fashion they then turned around and refused the judges reduced award and back to court the case went again.

The jury this time around came back with an award for the RIAA of $1.5 million for downloading 24 songs illegally. We can rest assured that Thomas and her legal team will be appealing this verdict as well, though no official statement has been made. Thomas is a single parent of four children and I can certainly understand not wanting to pay or being able to pay $25,000.

The RIAA is a bunch of bullies that threaten and cajole people who allegedly pirated music into paying them under the threat of legal action. We know its legal battles have cost the RIAA way more money than they have collected from those they sued and at the same time has turned them into the bullies of the music industry. Pirating music may be wrong, but you show me what is right about ruining a woman's life over a handful of songs. Having to pay $25,000 may as well be $1.9 million to the hoards of Americans who can barely afford to live now.

I for one think the RIAA should be ashamed of what they are doing and feel that their vast and comical legal campaign against people has done more damage to the music industry than any pirate could have. All these massive suits and awards are doing is turning the people who would be the bad guys in many people's eyes into the victims. You simply do not deserve $1.5 million for the illegal downloading of some music and the juries who have awarded these amounts are insane and makes me wonder if there are any peers left out there.

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Shane McGlaun
Leading our review center, Shane knows technology inside out. His extensive experience in testing computer hardware and consumer electronics enable him to effectively qualify new products and trends. If you want us review your product, please contact Shane.
Shane can be contacted directly at shane@i4u.com.