Saw an article in USA Today a few days ago about the recent suit against people who download music. In the article it stated that it would start hitting people with $150,000 fines. And then went on to say they were going to only serious downloaders who downloaded alot.


So what is the real story here? Who really has to worry about being targeted for being sued?

Most of the stuff I download is out of print, hard to find, or on small record labels. Almost never stuff put out on major labels. I'm guessing I don't have anything io worry about?

Nobody has any info on this?

From what I can gather, at this point, they will be targeting those who act as "significant" sources for the downloads, i.e. the guys with 1000's upon 1000's of songs on their shared directory.  I, myself, am greedy and as such never allow a shared directory, and anyhowse, all I download is old punk not available on earth anywhere anymore, ditto old reggae, and Grateful Dead shows, which have no restrictions on them, anyways.  Still, I may stop downloading for a while and see how this all shakes out.  How long do you think it'll be before good anonomyzer software is out, and being downloaded?  Anything they try can, and will be, thwarted.

As of right now, I have over 32k in shared files (mp3's, movies, programs and porn).

What I woudl like to know is, ho ware they going to prove that a certain IP has a certain person sitting behind it, commiting said crime.

Where is the chain of evidence?

It could be me, or it coudl be anyone who lives in my home, or it could be any guest in my home, or it could be any workman in my home, it could even be someone driving by, hopping onto my WiFi network.

Not only that, but what of the people who can spoof an IP?  How do they know the IP they are looking at, is really the IP doing the sharing?

I think that any lawyer, even a beggining lawyer will not have to work very hard at raising some resonable doubt.

I would be very suprised if a judge would even allow these cases to come to trial.

It just sounds like strong armed FUD to me.

(FUD = Fear, Uncertainity & Doubt)

Hey Heilo. Where have you been hiding at? I haven't seen you lately....(not to highjack the thread)

You know how many times people have asked me that same question in the past week? .

What with the past market volatility, I had to actually work (like a dog) for the past 6 months or so.

Now that the markets have cooled down a bit, I am able to relax a bit and have some fun, so I am back.

Wish I could have made it to bulletfest.

I have heard that, and I have started downloading MORE stuff.  I want them to sue me.  That way the haitian cunt that's likely to sue me soon will have to get in line.

They aren't going to actually sue anyone, or maybe one or two "example" cases.  They're just hoping that people like The_Camp_Ninja will shut down for awhile and choke the stream.

Just make it down to Texas in October. I might even pick you up at the airport, in the ar15.com van [:)]

Those of you who want to get sued better have deep pockets.  Lawyers don't work for free.

I have no intention of fighting it.  I WANT to lose.  $150k? what are they stupid?  I'll quit my job and work at mcdonald's before I give some overpriced hollywood lawyer one red cent of the money I've worked so hard my whole life to earn.
Just call me John Galt.