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RIAA bust a 12 year old girl

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RIAA bust a 12 year old girl

from WinCustomize Forums
The RIAA sees the face of evil, and it's a 12-year-old girl
By Ashlee Vance in Chicago
Posted: 09/09/2003 at 13:54 GMT


The RIAA has nailed one of the most prolific file-traders in the U.S., filing a lawsuit against 12-year-old Brianna LaHara.

When not at the playground with her friends, "Biggie Brianna" is trading music files from her home in New York. The little girl received one of the 261 lawsuits filed by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) on Monday, according to the New York Post. She may look like a sweet and innocent child, but the RIAA says it's only going after major copyright violators at the moment. So you make the call.

"I got really scared. My stomach is all turning," Brianna told the Post. "I thought it was OK to download music because my mom paid a service fee for it. Out of all people, why did they pick me?"

It turns out that Brianna's mum paid a $29.99 service charge to kazaa for the company's music service. Brianna, however, thought this meant she could download songs at will. How naive!

When reporters charged into Brianna's home, she was helping her brother with some homework. She is an honors student at St. Gregory the Great school.

Brianna could face charges of up to $150,000 per infringed song, but we have a feeling this might be a tad unrealistic. We suggest the RIAA take all of her toys instead.

"Nobody likes playing the heavy and having to resort to litigation," RIAA president Cary Sherman said in a statement. "But when your product is being regularly stolen, there comes a time when you have to take appropriate action."

Go get her, Cary. ®


http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/6/32731.html
[Message Edited]
19,287 views 72 replies
Reply #51 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I was not implying that I condone 5 finger discount or stealing I am just saying that its no different then what we did in the 70’s thru the early 90’s, and if they want to throw stones then he/she who is with out guilt should throw the first stone.
Reply #52 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Downloading mp3's isn't illegal,
atleast not if someone has the album, or keeps them for less than 24 hours.
Offworld Trading Company
Reply #53 from WinCustomize Forums Top
This is absurd. Just jail both for 2 years and fine them $25,000. Then put them in a halfway house on probation for 5 years. They should also be put on the Dept. Of Homeland Security's (USA) watch list as potential cyber terrorist. >
Reply #54 from WinCustomize Forums Top
How about have the artists sell their music/whatever directly to the public? Wouldnt that bring prices down a bit?
Reply #55 from WinCustomize Forums Top
There is a huge difference between making a tape for your friend, or even 10 friends, and sharing your music with 50 million people!! Come on, let's be real here.
Reply #56 from WinCustomize Forums Top
My hope is that this 12 year old 'Capone' will be forced to pay all of the money mentioned in the lawsuit so that all the washed up, has-been artists of the world, like the Milli Vanilli's and the Men Without Hats, can finally get a fair shake. I won't be happy until I see the 'Brian Adams's' of this world sitting comfortably by their pool-sides, living nicely off the money that this 12 year old will spend the rest of her life working at MacDonalds to pay off.

Bless the RIAA and God keep them in their good works in society.
[Message Edited]
Reply #57 from WinCustomize Forums Top

*sigh*

Fact is that something had to be done because file sharing is so wide-spread and almost considered normal. Just look at this thread, it's the best example.  When the risk of being caught will be tangible, the majority of people will think twice before doing it.

I guess it's comparable to speeding on the highway. They don't give a ticket to everybody, but the risk is there so most people stay close to the speed limit; just a few people take the risk and sometimes get caught.

Reply #58 from WinCustomize Forums Top
#52  by Skinner Styl skinner - 9/10/2003 12:13:06 AM

Downloading mp3's isn't illegal,
atleast not if someone has the album, or keeps them for less than 24 hours.

Oh yes it is....unless that MP3 was uploaded by its copyright holder....and I don't mean the dipstick who bought a CD in a shop and ripped it to the P2P folder....I mean the Artist and/or his Production/Distribution Label.

Having or not having the album is irrelevant.

Reply #59 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Times sometimes change and so the solution is to change w/ them so here is some cold hard facts:

Q. Will they be able to stop this?
A. No (obviously since sending ppl to the gas chamber has not stopped murder)

Q. Can they make something alil better out of a bad situation
A. Yes (work w/ the internet as a tool to make or compensate the money being lost due to file sharing such as a buck a download (then they can save time and not make 10 bunk tunes to stick on a CD to sell their one hit for 25 bucks and can make the 25 on 25 downloads of the one hit)

Q. Is this killing ppl and so important that the law needs to spend time on this when they should be worrying about more urgent things
A. No (other things in the world are much more important) and yet ppl get more upset about this then their own neighbor getting shot and killed

Do you guys catch the program "Cribs" watch it sometime these artist have 20 Hummers in the garage so this prob may limit them to only buying 15 Hummers so you see not much of a prob since it will never get them down to buying only 1 Hummer
Reply #60 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Doreen: it won't stop, but it can be (and WILL be) greatly reduced.  I already know 3 friends of mine who said they will stop using Kazaa now that prosecutions have started. They are really scared that they'll be caught now from past activities. No, I'm confident that if the RIAA continues with the thousands of prosecutions, music theft through file sharing will be reduced by 95% or more.

How many people would go at 120 mph on the highway if there were never any cops to enforce the speed limit?

Doreen, theft is theft. It is just as important to stop this as it is to stop car theft or any other kind of theft.

Here is what I think, honestly. I think that everybody knows perfectly well that it's illegal, but are afraid that they'll have to start spending money to get music from now on.

Reply #61 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Just a quick update. Please see http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/09/09/music.swap.settlement/index.html

The 12-year old in question agreed to pay $2,000 in settlement. This amount was agreed to based on $2 for each of the 1,000 songs she allegedly shared.
Reply #62 from WinCustomize Forums Top

The recording industry needs to start switching to services like BuyMusic.com.  You can listen to clips of the song before purchasing, and the songs are only about $1.00 each.  So, you can have just the songs that you want.  If the services could have the most recent songs, then why wouldn't people use it?  i much rather pay $13 for 13 songs that I want versus a CD of two songs that I like.  However, there are a lot of artists and record companies that don't want to participate, which is a shame.

I'm too lazy to rip songs that I own to an MP3.  I will use BuyMusic.com to buy some of those songs again because I am too lazy to rip the songs to MP3.   I am sure that there are others like me...... 

Reply #63 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Doreen: it won't stop, but it can be (and WILL be) greatly reduced. I already know 3 friends of mine who said they will stop using Kazaa now that prosecutions have started. They are really scared that they'll be caught now from past activities. No, I'm confident that if the RIAA continues with the thousands of prosecutions, music theft through file sharing will be reduced by 95% or more.
by paxx - 9/10/2003 7:01:10 AM

I agree paxxy it will scare a few ppl to stop using Kazaa including the lil 12 yo girl...

How many people would go at 120 mph on the highway if there were never any cops to enforce the speed limit?
by paxx - 9/10/2003 7:01:10 AM

I hear in Germany they have no speed limit? (not sure cuz me has never been there but I also heard they have far less accidents then we do over here "trying" to drive 55 mph behind some fool driving only 10 mph

Doreen, theft is theft. It is just as important to stop this as it is to stop car theft or any other kind of theft.
by paxx - 9/10/2003 7:01:10 AM

paxxy I know that and you're def right there... no excuses

and time will tell how this will all work out
Reply #64 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I'm not saying that stealing is ok. I'm not saying that crime is ok. However, saying a 12 year old girl, who believed wht her mother told her, does'nt mean she's a criminal. It does'nt mean she new better. Until 5 minutes ago I did'nt know taping a song from the radio is illegal, And, I'm 32 years old. Ok, sounds stupid but it's not something I ever thought of. It's what everyone did. (Not saying it's right, so don't flame me. And no, I don't want to jump off a bridge.) How can you condemn a person who does'nt know it's wrong?
If it's against the law, why are tape recorders allowed to be made? Or VCR's, DVR's, cd burners, dvd burners, and programs that rip music? Why does'nt the RIAA go after the manufacturers of these products? If they really wanted it to stop you'd think they'd go to the source.
I read somewhere that the RIAA said that the music sales have gone down 31 percent since 2000, because of file sharing. I agree that s probably true. However I also think it's because the average person can go and download songs from an album he heard on the radio. And if he does'nt like what he hears other than that one song why waste your money? If the music industry would stop putting out garbage, they probably would probably notice an increase in sales. I know if I like an album I'll go out and buy it. but, I still listen to other songs, even from my favorite bands, before I buy the cd.
Anyway, this is just my opinion, and it's not really going to change anything, but I feel better for ranting.

Dilligas
Reply #65 from WinCustomize Forums Top
cool, I got quoted in jafo's grey box with a green fond
Reply #66 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I hear in Germany they have no speed limit?


This is only partially true, theres only no speed limit on their main highway system, the Autobahn, and it's only parts of it and when theres little traffic.



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Reply #67 from WinCustomize Forums Top
It does'nt mean she new better


Everyone is born with a basic sense of right and wrong reguardless of their environment. unless it was so corupted she was raised that stealing is ok or not wrong. I highly doubt it. Jungles of south america maybe. U.S. no.



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Reply #68 from WinCustomize Forums Top
...

She is 12 years old with friends and is a honor student.

If she didn't know someone did. This 'file sharing' thing has been going on for years. There is no way any person 11 and up didn't know that its illegal.



And that 29.99 fee... now that is very interesting...

Reply #69 from WinCustomize Forums Top
How can you condemn a person who does'nt know it's wrong? If it's against the law, why are tape recorders allowed to be made? Or VCR's, DVR's, cd burners, dvd burners, and programs that rip music? Why does'nt the RIAA go after the manufacturers of these products? If they really wanted it to stop you'd think they'd go to the source.


my thoughts exactly. why own a cd burner if every time you use it you are breaking the law? hell even doing a backup on your system could somehow be twisted around into a stealing software thing...
Reply #70 from WinCustomize Forums Top
:surprised: /me pulls the backups of his server and main computer out of the cd holder, chops them into peaces, put them in the microwave for 5 minutes, and burns them in the fireplace.... (according to someone on the board this also works for HD's (tought it was motion )
Reply #71 from WinCustomize Forums Top
It amazes me how people try to make excuses for downloading music.

The RIAA sucks!
(who doesn't know that?)

The Music indrusty sucks!
(again... same as above)

I am helping the artists!!!
(by paying for there work right?)

I am promoting the artists!!!
(here it gets a little tricky, they do get some promotion because your saying the song is great... too bad others get the song off of Kazaa, Morpheus, iMesh and others so the artist still doesn't get paid)


The artist makes most of their money from touring!!
(enough money to pay for the production costs, advertising, videos, and other expenses?)

Its like the VCR or tape decks!
(hmmmm... so one copy of a song can be shared with literally millions of people? didn't know VRC tapes had such range)

=======================

On a side note I would say here is a case of a smart child who would have an high IQ most likely but not being able to put 2 and 2 together.

High IQ's, an educational system that focuses only on an ability to memorize and regeritate in a timely manner is not intellegence. She should have been able to realize what was going on. Being a child she might have made a unconscience or conscience decision to ignore it.
Reply #72 from WinCustomize Forums Top
If she didn't know, someone did


I can see the girl not knowing that it was illegal...But Im sure her parents knew what she was doing and that it was illegal.

High IQ's, an educational system that focuses only on an ability to memorize and regeritate in a timely manner is not intellegence. She should have been able to realize what was going on. Being a child she might have made a unconscience or conscience decision to ignore it.


When breaking the law is as easy as right click-left click, its quite possible for someone like a 12 yr old girl to not realize what their doing.