The point still seems to be missed that this is now a cash generating, official, and generally accepted way to force people into morality!So much for less government. How many tax dollars do you think the PEA Pirating Enforcement Administration will chew through on an annual basis. Think of the money we can make on prisons!  We will all be fricking rich!

If you based damages off lost sales, the amount would be less then 1% of that number.

Also, given the kangaroo court nature of piracy proceedings, I'm always suspicious of guilt in these cases.  You have better luck at Gitmo.

I'd argue this is an 8th amendment case for "cruel and unusual punishment"  (emphasis on the unusual)

I think it's ludicrous to heft a fine of that magnitude on a single mother with 4 children. She obviously can't get a good lawyer. (if there even is such a thing) The children are the ones to suffer in this fight. It's a glich in the system, man. And nobody cares.

I'd like to see this person out on the street with a begging bowl. Same goes for anyone who thinks they have a right to things for free.

The law is there for a reason. It's there to protect us from the self righteous pricks who believe society owes them something.

Take some responsibility. Get a job, get a mortgage and buy a house, pay for all the things you have with money you have worked for. That's what the majority of us do.

The biggest problem with society today is too many people get away with things instead of getting what's coming to them. Sympathy for this woman? No, none. If she doesn't like the answer, she shouldn't have asked the question.

There are laws, she is guilty that's all.

People claiming they didnt know it was against the law to dl songs/movies on Internet make me laugh.That's a stupid defense.

Plus, it's not like she stole a pizza to feed her children, she stole music for her own pleasure, i don't see how you can defend that...

Here,in France, you have a law called Adopi (i don't know all the whereabouts about it), but providers can check anormal traffic from IPs and verify it.If it is clear that you shared fraudulous files you get an e-mail warning.If you continue sharing then you can have a fine plus internet connection definitely shutdown.

I believe the primary responsibility lies with the individual. If the ISP provides a service, then that's a good thing also, probably motivated by not wanting to be sued also.

No doubt there has never been equity in punishment for those committing crimes nor will there ever be. 

As I have said before in threads dealing with this type of story, I don't do crimes so my concern for those that do is not very high. 

Everyone knows that the world in not perfect, all we as individuals can do is make sure we are responsible in are acts, words and deeds and hope that others are doing the same. If they aren't they will eventually find themselves in a place they just knew they would never end up in.  End of story.

She can't afford the 'actual value'.

Tough tits.

There are two types of people/respondents....those who are equally guilty - and do NOT want it to happen to them...so cry foul.... and those who are equally guilty and have the gonads to cop it on the chin [mixed metaphor....or you're a dickhead]...

what I FIND funny,and i dare you to say im lieing..90% of the bigots responding in this thread with the "off with her head"bit...have stolen music(even if 1 song) at sometime in there life online..

Not me, not once.  I don't steal.  And face it, if you can't be as moral and ethical as an asshole like Lord Xia, then you should go to prison and or/pay a fine.

I'm going to have to respond and say that I must be in your BS file. 

Sorry, but one thing I have found out over the years is that because I did something didn't necessarily mean that others also have done it. 

It doesn't annoy me that she got prosecuted for stealing something, fine.

What does annoy me is that this is yet another instance which clearly demonstrates that the legal system has become a big fat slot machine or lottery.  Pop in a lawyer and see if you can hit the jackpot.  That is indeed a much bigger problem.

The courts are here to attempt to maintain some sense of justice.  I don't see it here.  Sure, hang her, call her a witch, take her property and burn her at the stake.  Catch somebody driving 5 miles an hour over the speed limit and award $2 Million to everyone else who happened to be on the highway for having their lives endangered.  Chop off hands.  Blow 'em up if they don't think like we do.

Not what we're supposed to be about.