A recent RIAA court case in the US against defendant Debbie Foster has turned into an very important and interesting one.
The case started out when the RIAA filed legal proceedings against Ms. Foster. The RIAA found her public IP address to be
the address of a shared folder on a ‘well known file sharing network’ (limewire then).
She however claimed to be completely ignorant of file sharing, let alone the accused action. She however stated that her daughter and her daughter’s estranged husband also had access to the same account.
The RIAA, instead of simply dropping the case, decided the sue Debbie Foster’s daughter, leaving her as a co-defendant. That makes sense! Both mother and daughter refused to settle (most people do not however), so the case went to court.
The US district court judge, Lee R. West decided that both defendants were not liable to be sued, and so demanded the RIAA to pay their legal fees – which they are in turn refusing and requesting it to be reconsidered.
Even more unbeleivable, the RIAA’s main evidence boiled down to (and I quote) ‘… the defendant heard music coming from the computer when admitted infringer Amanda Foster was using it.’. OH MY GOD! That must mean she’s stealing music, and leaving poor children in Africa without food tonight! Gosh, I feel dirty; I’ll turn my music down shall I?
The RIAA: The irate 70 year-old man of a organisation.
“Turn that music down, or I’ll sue. And get a job, ya bum.”