So, about that piracy... AKA Woman forced to pay $1.5 million for pirating music

[Sven und EIN HUND]

A woman has been ordered to pay $1.5 million US to recording companies for pirating 24 songs on 'KaZaA', a peer-to-peer file sharing network that, I'd assume, is not unlike the late Limewire. The full article is here, so I won't bother going into the details: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/entertainment/8119083/woman-to-pay-us1-5m-for-online-piracy

Personally I think that's goddamn absurd. Apparently this comes after a few similar offenses from the same woman, but $1.5 million?? Is piracy a crime? Yes. Have they gone too far? In my opinion: Yes. What do you think?

 

[ZombieGenesis]

If the recording companies are suing here for damages, she shouln't be liable for anything more than she's stolen. Speaking as a lawyer, that ain't right...
Still, this day and age people should know better.

 

[Katherine Kerensky]

I think that what she has to pay is just stupid.
Sure, they should pay for the damages they've done, maybe up to a total of two times the original release value of the products that they pirated (If it is just them downloading for personal use, not to further distribute/sell), but $1.5 million dollars for 24 songs?
Those 24 songs better have been diamond-encrusted for that price.

 

[SixWingedAsura]

For only 24 songs?

OHSHI-

I mean uh...pirating is bad...

_>

 

[SinisterGehe]

She will wont ever be able to pay that...
I know pirating is wrong and can be considered immoral, but so is abusing law like that...
Both are evil in this instance, but 1,5million? That f'king absurd!!!

 

[therandombear]

maybe it's like that with the person running the private servers with WoW, they are setting a example. "Be scared and don't do it"

That is one steep price for 24 songs

 

[pouyapouya]

She was uploading them too, Kazzaa is peer to peer remember, probably why they set the price so high.

 

[Asuka Soryu]

Geez? 1.5million? What'd she kidnap the singers as well?

 

[MGlBlaze]

I believe this is a case of one being held liable for the crimes of everyone else as well. This kind of fine is totally unacceptable; I'd think $20 for every song you're caught illegaly downloading would suffice.

This isn't the first time something this absurd has happened, if I recall..

 

[Nunny]

I had an opinion going something along the lines "one person taking the fall for many" but ill be damned if i can word it properly.

Used to use Kazza, though the old games i got through thier never quite worked.

 

[Merkavar]

even 500% or even 1000% more than she stole would have been fairer. 1.5 mill seems alot. best to pay up now while the australian dollar is high. she is australian isnt she.

 

[thahat]

america, right XD? absurd prices are normal there XD?
or is my view on this now a bit off target and is america not the country of insane 'il sew you!' ness XD?

 

[Nunny]

even 500% or even 1000% more than she stole would have been fairer. 1.5 mill seems alot. best to pay up now while the australian dollar is high. she is australian isnt she.

American if im reading it right.

 

[Vampire cat]

$1.5 million is an impossibly large amount of money for the average worker, even for the well-to-do worker. That's like 8 million Norwegian Krone, more than 8 times the loan I won't have payed back to the bank before I'm 50 years old... 50! That's 30 years from now! And for stealing the equivalent of 1-2 CD's! (depending on the CD) What the hell is wrong with that picture...

If the recording companies are suing here for damages, she shouln't be liable for anything more than she's stolen. Speaking as a lawyer, that ain't right...
Still, this day and age people should know better.

People today SHOULD know better, but as you say she shouldn't pay for more than she stole, and not anywhere is 24 songs woth $ 1.5 million... Do you have ANY idea how much trouble a company was in if they even suggested they wanted that much compensation for so little in Norway? All hell would break lose...

 

[Merkavar]

even 500% or even 1000% more than she stole would have been fairer. 1.5 mill seems alot. best to pay up now while the australian dollar is high. she is australian isnt she.

American if im reading it right.

yeah your right. i must have got my stories mixed up. but still 1.5 mill is alot

 

[joshuaayt]

What is the point of that fine? How is she even supposed to pay that?

 

[SenseOfTumour]

Again, the legal system tells us, stop pirating and start shoplifting.
Worst case, you get caught and get a warning and a small fine.
Best case, you get free music and movies!

If however you don't steal the cds and dvds, but just go online and take a copy of the data, then you're looking at a potentially life destroying fine, that most people could never hope to pay.

LEGAL NOTE: Not actually condoning theft IRL, but damn, it's a lot less serious in terms of the penalties it seems. I'm sure people have permanently crippled other people for life and ended up paying less than $1.5 million in damages.

But then, as ever, what's human life when it comes up against the mighty dollar?

 

[Charisma]

The far greater crime is committed by record companies who do this kind of shit.

 

[Hateren47]

Stop comparing it to theft. Had she physically went to a store and stolen 2 CDs she wouldn't have been fined $1.5 million, that's for sure. Had she borrowed 2 CDs from a friend, her friend wouldn't be fined that amount either.

This is ridiculous. She should flee the country and seek asylum somewhere with a functioning legal system. That's what I would do. "Come on kids, we're moving to Mexico."