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Girl, 12, Settles Piracy Suit for $2,000


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WASHINGTON - A 12-year-old girl in New York who was among the first to be sued by the record industry for sharing music over the Internet is off the hook after her mother agreed Tuesday to pay $2,000 to settle the lawsuit, apologizing and admitting that her daughter's actions violated U.S. copyright laws.

 

 

 

The hurried settlement involving Brianna LaHara, an honors student, was the first announced one day after the Recording Industry Association of America (news - web sites) filed 261 such lawsuits across the country. Lawyers for the RIAA said Brianna's mother, Sylvia Torres, contacted them early Tuesday to negotiate.

 

 

"We understand now that file-sharing the music was illegal," Torres said in a statement distributed by the recording industry. "You can be sure Brianna won't be doing it anymore."

 

 

Brianna added: "I am sorry for what I have done. I love music and don't want to hurt the artists I love."

 

 

The case against Brianna was a potential minefield for the music industry from a public relations standpoint. The family lives in a city housing project on New York's Upper West Side, and they said they mistakenly believed they were entitled to download music over the Internet because they had paid $29.99 for software that gives them access to online file-sharing services.

 

 

Even in the hours before the settlement was announced, Brianna was emerging as an example of what critics said was overzealous enforcement by the powerful music industry.

 

 

The top lawyer for Verizon Communications Inc. charged earlier Tuesday during a Senate hearing that music lawyers had resorted to a "campaign against 12-year-old girls" rather than trying to help consumers turn to legal sources for songs online. Verizon's Internet subsidiary is engaged in a protracted legal fight against the RIAA over copyright subpoenas sent Verizon customers.

 

 

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., also alluded to Brianna's case.

 

 

"Are you headed to junior high schools to round up the usual suspects?" Durbin asked RIAA President Cary Sherman during a Senate Judiciary hearing.

 

 

Durbin said he appreciated the piracy threat to the recording industry, but added, "I think you have a tough public relations campaign to go after the offenders without appearing heavy-handed in the process."

 

 

Sherman responded that most people don't shoplift because they fear they'll be arrested.

 

 

"We're trying to let people know they may get caught, therefore they should not engage in this behavior," Sherman said. "Yes, there are going to be some kids caught in this, but you'd be surprised at how many adults are engaged in this activity."

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for a company that claims to be for the artists, they sure are a money grubbing bunch of assholes

 

americas new low, i'd say

 

i've done zero research on this and i was wondering if anyone knows where this money is going? that $2000 they stole back from that family.....is it going towards the musicians themselves? or the even more frightening record labels?

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Guest ModelCitizen
Originally posted by sneak

i read about this in the news.

i laughed so hard i actually fell of my chair. what the fuck is sueing a 12year old going to accomplish?

 

I think the goal is to scare parents into monitoring what their kids are doing when they go online. Obviously no 12-year-old is going to be responsible for 2 grand, so the parents assume the burden of dealing with it, and the media coverage helps at setting an example.

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i just read that from msn. i think that is pathetic and sad! its like the police here in my state, instead of going out and catching attackers, theifs and murders, they stand on a road and point a speed gun at you. its poor!

 

the RIAA should be out their attacking the people who INVENT the software to do such things, not always the people using it. 12 year old school girl ? come on, thats just stupid and sad.

 

i hope this hit tv in the US just so every person in a household with a young child can say "stupid morons" and if they dont have a child that age i hope they all jsut laughed at them and thought what jerks!

 

 

krie - anti RIAA!

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Originally posted by Dr. Dazzle

Shit like this reminds me why I'm glad I live in Canada......

 

one day i will live in canada, ive always wanted to .. only thing i heard bad about the place is it is costly to live compared to aus ? oh well justs means ill have to get a good paying job :king:

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