A woman from Brainerd, Minnesota was ordered by a federal jury to pay over $222,000 for illegally sharing copyrighted music online. “This does send a message, I hope, that downloading and distributing our recordings is not OK,” Richard Gabriel, the lead attorney for the music companies that sued the woman, said Thursday after the three-day civil trial in this city on the shore of Lake Superior.
Jammie Thomas, 30, a single mother from Brainerd, was ordered to pay the six record companies that sued her $9,250 for each of 24 songs they focused on in the case. They had alleged she shared 1,702 songs in all.
How can you avoid having this happen to you? Know the rules and laws regarding music! Check out this great resource to learn more about the ethical and legal use of copyrighted music. You can also learn more about the rules regarding copyright and downloaded music from these resources:
- MusicUnited.org
- PBS Newshour Facts on Copyright and Music
- CBS News Interactive Features on Copyright and File Sharing
- Great info for parents and students about the rules for legally downloading and using copyrighted music
- Read more about this landmark decision at ABC News online.
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