Rich Fiscus
29 Oct 2010 9:17
A German court recently shot down a damage claim of 600 euros against a teen for sharing 2 songs, opting instead to reduce the figure by 95% to just 30 euros.
In addition, a claim against the boy's father, whom the lawsuit said should be held responsible simply because his internet connection was used, was dismissed entirely by the Hamburg court.
In explaining the amount awarded, they pointed out the songs were already several years old at the time they were shared and also that the rights holders could only prove the tracks were available online for a short time.
Analyzing the decision, a German law blog noted that even if applied to a current hit, the court's formula could result in damage awards of substantially less than 100 euros.
By contrast, recent lawsuits against German file sharers have demanded 1000 euros per song.