Woman Ordered To Pay $9,000 For 12 Songs Record Companies Say Songs Downloaded Illegally
POSTED: 5:08 pm EDT October 4, 2007 UPDATED: 10:11 am EDT October 5, 2007
SIMPSONVILLE, S.C. -- An Upstate woman's quest for music has turned into a federal case, after a judge ordered her to pay $9,000 for downloading 12 songs off the Internet.
According to court documents, Sharon Penn of Simpsonville is accused of violated the reproduction and distribution rights of six recording companies. Those companies say Penn downloaded music using an online media distribution system and also copied -- or made it possible for others to copy -- the material from her.
WYFF News 4 stopped by Penn's house to see if she wanted to comment on the judgment, but she was not at home.
Gene Berger, the owner of Horizon Records, said he's familiar with how copyrighted music and how evolving technology is affecting the industry.
"Access does not equal possession. Otherwise, we'd be breaking into each other's house all the time. Just because a person drives by a beautiful apple field and sees a tree full of apples doesn't mean, 'Oh, I can walk over and just load my trunk up and my car and pick up truck full of them because I can reach them. Therefore, I own them.' That is not the case," Berger said.
The attorneys representing the record companies did not comment on this case. Instead, they referred News 4 to the Recording Industry Association of America, which did not return calls.
Berger said, "You can't stop technology. The future is here. We have the ability to copy and to stream and to share these things, but we have to sort out what are the boundaries of legal intellectual property rights."
Penn did not respond to the complaint within the allotted time, so the judge ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. In addition to the $9,000 fine, she will also owe $420 in court costs.
It's uncertain if the record companies will ever recoup the money from Penn.
Berger said it's not just the record companies that are hurt by illegal downloads.
"That's a musician with a guitar and a band living in Boston or something that's got two kids going to college and a house payment and a wife and a car he's trying to keep up. We're ripping him off with that activity of sharing and downloading in mass numbers," Berger said.
"Once the genie's out of the bottle, what's the path? Whose got it? Who controls it? What's happening? I don't know … Everybody will just say, 'I just burned it a copy of that disk for my friend. What's the harm in that?' Well, I don't know. Maybe they put it on the Internet and now 10,000 people have it," he said.
On Thursday, the recording industry also won another key battle against illegal downloading. A Minnesota woman was found guilty of sharing copyrighted music online. She'll have to pay more than $220,000.
I'd put the popularity of the RIAA just above cigarette companies and just below Bill OReilly. And any ISP that gives away IP addresses should be blacklisted.
_________________ Straight outta line
Quote:
For a vegetarian, Rents, you're a fuckin' EVIL shot!
Last edited by p911gt10c on Fri Mar 16, 2012 2:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Post subject: Re: The RIAA, still being cunts..gaining no ground
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 4:43 pm
Unthought Known
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2005 12:42 am Posts: 7939
p911gt10c wrote:
"Access does not equal possession. Otherwise, we'd be breaking into each other's house all the time. Just because a person drives by a beautiful apple field and sees a tree full of apples doesn't mean, 'Oh, I can walk over and just load my trunk up and my car and pick up truck full of them because I can reach them. Therefore, I own them.' That is not the case," Berger said.
Hey, what if I go into a store and buy an apple? I'd be free to pass it on to people who don't have enough money or are unwilling to buy an apple right?
_________________ I will pull your crooked teeth, you'll be toothless just like me
Post subject: Re: The RIAA, still being cunts..gaining no ground
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 4:45 pm
Johnny Guitar
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2007 2:50 pm Posts: 124
Don't want to be sued? Don't be a dumbass and steal music then. Seems pretty simple.
Can't afford that buck to get a song you like? Maybe you need a job and should start worrying about why exactly it is that you can't afford anything and have to resort to stealing.
Bigger question: Why do you think you deserve something for nothing?
Post subject: Re: The RIAA, still being cunts..gaining no ground
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 4:46 pm
Unthought Known
Joined: Wed Aug 24, 2005 12:42 am Posts: 7939
donotcall wrote:
Don't want to be sued? Don't be a dumbass and steal music then. Seems pretty simple.
Can't afford that buck to get a song you like? Maybe you need a job and should start worrying about why exactly it is that you can't afford anything and have to resort to stealing.
Bigger question: Why do you think you deserve something for nothing?
How is it stealing? Answer my question. I buy an apple and then give it to you. Did I steal anything? Did you?
_________________ I will pull your crooked teeth, you'll be toothless just like me
Post subject: Re: The RIAA, still being cunts..gaining no ground
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 4:53 pm
Unthought Known
Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:41 pm Posts: 7563 Location: Calgary, AB Gender: Male
donotcall wrote:
Don't want to be sued? Don't be a dumbass and steal music then. Seems pretty simple.
Can't afford that buck to get a song you like? Maybe you need a job and should start worrying about why exactly it is that you can't afford anything and have to resort to stealing.
Bigger question: Why do you think you deserve something for nothing?
Wow, you're quite a piece of work there sport. Assuming I'm stealing music, have no job and think I deserve something for nothing.... the girls must love you.
Who said I"m stealing? I've been buying music for years, back to the days of casettes. So if I've already given them my money on the casette purchase, I can download the same music and feel quite good about it. Me and my 2 jobs thank you.
You must be one of the "childrens" Bush was talking about huh?
_________________ Straight outta line
Quote:
For a vegetarian, Rents, you're a fuckin' EVIL shot!
Post subject: Re: The RIAA, still being cunts..gaining no ground
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 4:57 pm
Leak Inspector
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 5:25 pm Posts: 35180 Location: Brasil Gender: Male
donotcall wrote:
Don't want to be sued? Don't be a dumbass and steal music then. Seems pretty simple.
Can't afford that buck to get a song you like? Maybe you need a job and should start worrying about why exactly it is that you can't afford anything and have to resort to stealing.
Bigger question: Why do you think you deserve something for nothing?
funny person
_________________ need you, dream you, find you, taste you, fuck you, use you, scar you, break you, lose me, hate me, smash me, erase me, kill me....
Post subject: Re: The RIAA, still being cunts..gaining no ground
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 5:12 pm
too drunk to moderate properly
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 7:19 pm Posts: 39068 Location: Chapel Hill, NC, USA Gender: Male
_________________ "Though some may think there should be a separation between art/music and politics, it should be reinforced that art can be a form of nonviolent protest." - e.v.
Post subject: Re: The RIAA, still being cunts..gaining no ground
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 5:12 pm
Johnny Guitar
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2007 2:50 pm Posts: 124
p911gt10c wrote:
Wow, you're quite a piece of work there sport. Assuming I'm stealing music, have no job and think I deserve something for nothing
Well, "sport", why do you believe you deserve something for nothing?
p911gt10c wrote:
.... the girls must love you.
And the boys.
p911gt10c wrote:
Who said I"m stealing?
You didn't say you weren't. What is more, you are upset at the fact that those who did steal music are being punished for doing so. So where is the gray area here? I assume it is because you steal music as well, and are upset that you may be punished. It is all very childish. That is my two cents.
p911gt10c wrote:
You must be one of the "childrens" Bush was talking about huh?
You must be one of the thieves I was talking about, huh?
Post subject: Re: The RIAA, still being cunts..gaining no ground
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 5:15 pm
Johnny Guitar
Joined: Fri Sep 07, 2007 2:50 pm Posts: 124
Raziel wrote:
Answer my question.
Why do you believe that I have to answer any question of yours, especially when I don't recall even talking to you. As far as I am concerned, you will speak to me only when spoken to.
Post subject: Re: The RIAA, still being cunts..gaining no ground
Posted: Fri Oct 05, 2007 5:16 pm
Unthought Known
Joined: Tue Jan 16, 2007 10:41 pm Posts: 7563 Location: Calgary, AB Gender: Male
donotcall wrote:
p911gt10c wrote:
Wow, you're quite a piece of work there sport. Assuming I'm stealing music, have no job and think I deserve something for nothing
Well, "sport", why do you believe you deserve something for nothing?
p911gt10c wrote:
.... the girls must love you.
And the boys.
p911gt10c wrote:
Who said I"m stealing?
You didn't say you weren't. What is more, you are upset at the fact that those who did steal music are being punished for doing so. So where is the gray area here? I assume it is because you steal music as well, and are upset that you may be punished. It is all very childish. That is my two cents.
p911gt10c wrote:
You must be one of the "childrens" Bush was talking about huh?
You must be one of the thieves I was talking about, huh?
Hmm, your lame arguments reek of that one RM-er that keeps getting banned...funny that.
Seeing as your didn't catch it the first time, I've already paid for the music in another format, so I can hardly be stealing something I've already paid for now can I?? Pull your head out of your ass.
_________________ Straight outta line
Quote:
For a vegetarian, Rents, you're a fuckin' EVIL shot!
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