Jury Hands Down Extreme Verdict in File-Sharing Case

Call it a win for the recording industry...or is it?

In the case of Jammie Thomas-Rasset, who was accused of sharing 24 songs over the Internet, a jury recently ruled in favor of the music industry to the tune of $1.92 million, or $80,000 per song.  According to a post on their website, RIAA spokesperson Cara Duckworth states, "We appreciate the jury's service and that they take this as seriously as we do.  We are pleased that the jury agreed with the evidence and found the defendant liable.  Since day one, we have been willing to settle this case and we remain willing to do so.”  More details about the case can be found in USA Today.

I agree that illegal file-sharing is wrong, but is it $1.92 million dollars worth of wrong?  And will this aggressive fine cast a negative light on the powers-that-be in the music industry?  With the RIAA's willingness to settle the case out of court, I'm hoping a reasonable amount can be settled upon, for the sake of the industry and the Thomas-Rasset family.  And why didn't Thomas-Rasset choose to settle out of court in the first place instead of dragging this out, incurring more court costs and eventually being found guilty of the charges?

What are your thoughts about the case?

Stacy Ramsey
Consulting Writer, YouMusic.com