http://forums.afterdawn.com/thread_view.cfm/181944

this is the comcast lawsuit.

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Same incident, different target.

I am downloading a song (illegal I might add) to show my support for the cause. Please join me as we download together as one against corporate greed and injustice. Fight back and download for free in a show for solidarity.

and yes she is "The One"

Is there a defense fund to help support these people?

If there is a fighting fund I'll chuck in a couple of - oh dear - do you lot accept UK pounds?

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I agree. I had not thought about it, but this is extortion.

The publishers are blackmailing people to cough up the money or be burdened by a pathetic lawsuit that they never intend to file. They are only threatening us so that we will give up money.

Extortion to the highest degree.

If we can send Martha "I'm a Loser" Stewart to jail for selling stock on insider knowledge, we should be able to crack down on these big corporations who are literally threatening individual citizens.

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Not only is the RIAA a bunch of bullying s****, they now aren't happy about how much iTunes are selling tracks for. They seem to think that iTunes should be charging more than they are at present.
Aren't they just grateful that people are paying something?
They've had it too much their own way for far too long, and still they want more.
They are nothing better than leeches.
Good luck to this woman, I hope they get it stuck up them in court.
Problem is if it doesn't go their way, the bottomless pit of money will feed the vultures (sorry lawyers)until it goes their way.

SCREW THE RIAA, screw the goverment

"Andersen, 42, a disabled mother, lives alone with her eight-year-old daughter."

I'm sorry, but if you think a person who can probably barely afford to get by buying groceries - given that she's single and unemployeed due to disability, can afford to challange some legal mumbo jumbo company like the RIAA, you are making a fool out of yourself. She probably will go broke and into debt before she can even get to court - and ruin all potential for her kids to go to college (which is probably already in doubt if their mom's stupid enough to challange the RIAA). She's just making a laughing stock out of herself. The whole premisis to this story is hillarious, and her case will probably be thrown out of court in 0.000000001 seconds .

DMCA outrules the RICO act, whatever BS that RICO act is.

Don't people get it - the United States is a country where justice is all about how much damn money you have to fight off the case. If I wanted, I could go out and do 5 MPH over the speedlimit every day, get 6 speeding tickets a year, and not have a single point added to my license if I pay a lawyer enough money.

People get by with taking pictures of celeberties without their permission (paparazi), but ordinary Joe gets a few months in jail for taking pictures of girls at the swimming pool.

She's not being stupid. She's doing the right thing - which is probably the only chance she has. With all that you said, do you really think she could afford to settle for several thousand dollars? If she has to spend money she doesn't have anyway, I'd rather see her give it to lawyers and have a chance of coming out ahead than just giving it to the RIAA so they can go out and sue some other helpless victim.

Paying these settlements is an admission of guilt. If you're not guilty of violating the law, don't pay."

Well, not really. Most will settle saying they do not admit guilt, which can't be used against them criminally, but what it is can be construed as naive cave ins.

You take your average Joe Student. Odds are he is in debt, doesn't live even in the same state as his parents, so RIAA can't get any money from the parents.

I applaud this lady demanding a jury trial. Do you know why none of these cases have gone to trial? Because 99% never do. Why? Lawyers. They want upfront fees to go to court. court trials are freaking expensive, that's why they never get to court. LLet's say RIAA tells it's lawyers to go after the lady and the college student. Let's say they win a billion dollar settlement. How are they going to collect? They are not. They can't. The lawyers know it, and RIAA will not pay an horly fee to lawyers to take each person to trial. It is simply far too expensive to pay the lawyers compared to what they allege they are losing in revenue. Here's an idea, RIAA, try putting some decent music out there you little jerk offs. Jesus Christ, rap music condoning rape and murder, Nsync? Puke. Yeah, Justin and Janet, we really want more music from you! Btw, where the hell have you both been? Most bands`don't even sing anymore. There are other reasons why RIAA is losing revenue, and file sharing is a fraction of what the real reason is; nobody is making any decent music. (There are exceptions obviously.) If you live in California, (we're broke)Louisiana, broke, etc. Federal government, broke. Nobody can afford to prosecute you criminally, and nobody can afford to sue you in civil proceedings. Don't settle with these bastards, that's the worst thing to do because it's what they WANT you to do. It's the only result available to them. If you take it away, and stop settling, they will stop their nonsense BECAUSE IT IS NOT COST EFFECTIVE TO DO SO. It really is that simple. If you don't believe me, believe the numbers. Not a single casde has gone to trial. Ask yourself why.

nihilator you are so right with what you said, the RIAA can get $4500 straight up without it costing them a thing or they can agree to go to court, pay there lawyers a shit load and even with the hardest evidence possible to win in court they would get what $10 a week forever from the person they sue as that person prolly wouldnt be able to pay the crazy amount they get sued for.

if everyone did let it go to court the RIAA would either stop sending these people threat letters or start suing rich people only so as to get there cash upfront. this then would become a problem as a rich kid can afford better lawyers meaning the trial could drag on for a long time costin the RIAA more in legal fees and also reduce the chance of the RIAA winning in court and getting counter sued for the trouble they caused.

You can't download a song and sell it That's wrong, Down load for yourself is Ok. There can't be any profit or money involved. When I was a kid, 50 years ago, paperbacks used to have a copyright in the front of the book saying you couldn't give the book to anyone else to read.They had to buy they own copy. Even today when you give a paperback or book to someone Are you breaking the Law? Don't believe me, go to a flea market and look at old paperbacks. If I download a song that someone has given to me No law is Broken.
Capecod bubba

Wow, I just whipped out my calculator, and at an average of $4000 per settlement, they've made over $56 million without even going to court. Wish I could make that much without lifting a finger.

The RIAA has lawyers on retainer. I think that the trial fees would have to be coveered by them but I'm not sure. I would like to know if they have sued a lawyer yet someone who knows where they stand in a court of law. What is the criteria of the lawsuits and who has been excluded.I hope the lady takes the bullys' to court and beats them hands down. It would be a shame if when she gets to court they settle with her with a non-disclosure clause. I would give help$$$ to see them beat.

Trust me guys, she is not paying a dime probably.

Under these lawsuits, there is usually a percent that the attorneys get from the damages, not the plaintiff. So They will collect a huge percent--let's say millions, and the actual victims, if this goes to class-action status, get then a small dividend from the award.

But, I have to laugh when I hear the excuse that she is disabled and raises her daughter all by herself. No guys, you and I are raising that daughter with our FICA payments every month--social secruity and medicare.

How is she affording internet when she is a welfare recipient. That gets to me. I teach in a inner-city school where nearly everyone is EBT card users, quite a few have babies and yet they all have their $150.00 shoes on, with their gold teeth caps.

I disagree with what the music industry is doing, but this irks me when people play the sympathy card for these "disabled" victims. Afterall, amazing how they need to park at the closest parking for handicapped people (cause who could expect them to walk any farther, right?), and yet can walk 2-3 miles around the mall/Wal-Mart when they get in!

And no, they don't all use wheelchairs!

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I know that a lot of times 'disability' is really an abused term, but if it helps make a jury more sympathetic then I'm all for it.

1) I am disabled, and I pay 160.00 per Semester for a parking pass that does not guarentee me a parking spot. Although the school is in compliance with the alotted handi-cap spots, I have yet to find one. I'm only 41, and will have two prosthetic hips come this November. It hurts to walk. Don't take things for granted.

FICA and Medicare have NOTHING to do with welfare. My dad ran a huge company, and as an employer had to match each employees FICA and Medicare deductions. He died at 55, and never saw a penny from social security.

Don't mess with the disabled. We have all the time in the world to mess with heartless bastards such as yourself.

No matter how much you want to start another flame thread based on my comments before, I still think that there is no way in hell that any lawsuit filed by anyone against the RIAA will reach the AP or local news. Mainly, because the lawsuit will be thrown out.

We need someone with a more prestigous background to sue the RIAA for this stuff. Like Hillary Clinton or some artist from Metallica or Switchfoot, etc.

Know why it won't happen? Because they have probably been to college and know that there are legal maters that should go untouched, because if they are touched, they humiliate the person who touched them.

Well my point was they have to get to trial before they can be "Thrown out." What's happening is people who are not aware that they have freaking rights in this country, will choose to settle because their lawyer wil them it will cost too much in atty fees not to settle. That is what our judicial system has become. Damn, show up to court, by yourself, plan on just asking for a continuance; I guarentee you that whoever is suing you will most likely not show up. Go to your local courthouse homepage, and see how much it costs just to file the initial complaint. People are caving in becuase threy think "that's the way it is."
Poppycock. I wish somebody would sue me.

I have to agree with Nihilator, WTF has happened to music. I 'm not gonna say it's crap period, because everyone has diffrent taste in music. But where have all the real musicians gone? The one's who write, sing, and play there own music.
Most of the popular pop music and videos these days are no more than 5min advertisments for some kinda crap u really don't need. I mean good God the music these days is so empty and worthless. whatever happened to real musicans (Eagles, Eric clapton, Jewel, Sarah Mclachlan, Metallica(old stuff) and many more. All i can say is entertainers like 50 cent, Britney spears and one's like them should be scared, because they got payback comin. You can't live a life of lies and thivery and not expect to get it back sooner or later