5 replies to this topic

[Vaielab]

So this morning I read this article: http://torrentfreak....-ruling-110823/

For people who don't want to read the article, it's about a guy (Jamie Thomas) who got busted for downloading 24mp3, and now he have to pay 54 000$ for it... But even worst, the RIAA think this is not enough!
I know this topic probably already been discuss, but wow, 54 000$ for 24 mp3, am I the only one who think this is completly stupid?
One thing sure, I only hope they never comme look at my computer... I may have a little bit more than 24 mp3 on my computer :rolleyes:

[WingedPanther]

I've gots tons of MP3's... and the CD's I ripped them from :)

Nowadays, with Amazon selling MP3's, you can make a strong argument that you purchased them from Amazon (even if you need to spend $24 in purchases real quick).

[Creech]

I think at most they should make you pay for twice the cost of the album.

Say you ripped a CD that costs 14$ in stores, you have to pay 28$ as a fee for getting caught downloading it illegally.


But yes, I agree with the OP, 53,000$ seems rather ludicrous, but companies are greedy these days.

[bbqroast]

It's because they can't do it to everyone so they do it to one person and make a big deal of it scarring everyone else away.
The human mind calculates risks using three main factors:
What is the penalty of getting caught?
What is the risk of getting caught?
What is the value?

So for example the risk is pretty low and in some cases the value is to (except for one people download hundreds if not thousands of them). So the companies make the penalty very high trying to tip the scales their way.

Also if you only paid for the price of the item when you were caught its:
"Well I can either buy it or pirate it. Hell if I get caught I just have to pay the price I would pay buying it anyway...". Seeing as like 0.1% of all of these acts are followed up even twice the original fee seems to small.

In my country you get three (smallish) fines and then your internet is suspended (you can't use a different ISP as far as I know) for a while. The UN is giving us grief about how the internet is meant to be a (purchasable) right.

[Vaielab]

I agree, if the penality would be the same price as the original, it's useless... but this is 2250% the time of the original price.
Not only this will scare people, but this will destroy this guy live.
If tomorow you receive a bill of 54 000$, your life is over, you'r gonna have to sell your car, stop going to school, take 2 probably 3 jobs, sell everything you own.
So is it worth it to destroy a man life simply to make a point?

[bbqroast]

Yeah good point, most companies do get a bit over them selves.
This guy could still be paying of the debt after 18 years making his punishment longer than the (possible) sentence of the guy who commited the Norweigh shootings!