The point still seems to be missed that this is now a cash generating, official, and generally accepted way to force people into morality!So much for less government. How many tax dollars do you think the PEA Pirating Enforcement Administration will chew through on an annual basis. Think of the money we can make on prisons!  We will all be fricking rich!

wonder what she'd have got for shoplifting a coupla cd's... 

If you based damages off lost sales, the amount would be less then 1% of that number.

Also, given the kangaroo court nature of piracy proceedings, I'm always suspicious of guilt in these cases.  You have better luck at Gitmo.

I'd argue this is an 8th amendment case for "cruel and unusual punishment"  (emphasis on the unusual)

For first offense probably not a whole lot. 

Don't forget in the U.S. there is a law that I believe is called the Three Strikes Law, or something like that.  So say she got caught 3 different times stealing a CD, or any other crime, she could be put away for a very long time.

I hope everyone has figured out there is no way she is going to be able to pay the fine, that is unless she wins the lottery.  So the only ones really making any money here are the lawyers.

Hmmm, wonder who was really behind pushing this.  Just thinking out loud. 

I think it's ludicrous to heft a fine of that magnitude on a single mother with 4 children. She obviously can't get a good lawyer. (if there even is such a thing) The children are the ones to suffer in this fight. It's a glich in the system, man. And nobody cares.

"Single mother of four" was already rorting the system....likely breeding for welfare.

Who gives a toss what happens to her?

I don't.

I'd like to see this person out on the street with a begging bowl. Same goes for anyone who thinks they have a right to things for free.

The law is there for a reason. It's there to protect us from the self righteous pricks who believe society owes them something.

Take some responsibility. Get a job, get a mortgage and buy a house, pay for all the things you have with money you have worked for. That's what the majority of us do.

The biggest problem with society today is too many people get away with things instead of getting what's coming to them. Sympathy for this woman? No, none. If she doesn't like the answer, she shouldn't have asked the question.

"I don't care." She would never make enough money to support these children on probably a minimum wage. Gee, where's the responsible Dad?

I know the black and white of life. But, does anyone look at the grey anymore. Maybe she's a widow.... So for a stupid song let's ruin her whole life. Yeah, Let's make an example of that unholy witch.... Really. If I were the judge I'd take her out for lunch.  OK. Maybe not that far. 

But, there are crimes out there that deserve the punishment she's recieving. This is not one of them.

Oh, and I still haven't been able to get a rock to bleed. And just Thank God your where you are. It can take a second to change your life.

There are laws, she is guilty that's all.

People claiming they didnt know it was against the law to dl songs/movies on Internet make me laugh.That's a stupid defense.

Plus, it's not like she stole a pizza to feed her children, she stole music for her own pleasure, i don't see how you can defend that...

Here,in France, you have a law called Adopi (i don't know all the whereabouts about it), but providers can check anormal traffic from IPs and verify it.If it is clear that you shared fraudulous files you get an e-mail warning.If you continue sharing then you can have a fine plus internet connection definitely shutdown.

We should all adopt Adopi..   We also have that in Canada. You get a warning from your internet distributor.

I believe the primary responsibility lies with the individual. If the ISP provides a service, then that's a good thing also, probably motivated by not wanting to be sued also.

Man....I wish people were this passionate about how the governments are screwing everyone and stealing our money. Your better off being a white collar criminal and bilking people out of millions than downloading a few songs. Steal a few songs...pay millions. Steal millions...get probation. Yeah...that works out right!

And I guess I should be fined millions since I've shared music with friends often...just not with a file sharing program...I sent them directly. I guess hotmail will get in trouble for enabling me to do that.

No doubt there has never been equity in punishment for those committing crimes nor will there ever be. 

As I have said before in threads dealing with this type of story, I don't do crimes so my concern for those that do is not very high. 

Everyone knows that the world in not perfect, all we as individuals can do is make sure we are responsible in are acts, words and deeds and hope that others are doing the same. If they aren't they will eventually find themselves in a place they just knew they would never end up in.  End of story.

If I was the judge, I'd set damages to what the actual value was, then laugh at the record  company's lawyer fees.  Or just say $50 and time served.

She can't afford the 'actual value'.

Tough tits.

There are two types of people/respondents....those who are equally guilty - and do NOT want it to happen to them...so cry foul.... and those who are equally guilty and have the gonads to cop it on the chin [mixed metaphor....or you're a dickhead]...;)

What a completely retarded statement.

This poor person committed a crime equivalent of jaywalking and have to pay for it with her life basicly. It's fucked up.

what I FIND funny,and i dare you to say im lieing..90% of the bigots responding in this thread with the "off with her head"bit...have stolen music(even if 1 song) at sometime in there life online..

I'm so very proud to part of the 10%. 

I do believe though that you are incorrect in your statement.  Now if you would have said 90% of those people downloading music probably have stolen 1 song at sometime I might go along with that.  But then it would be very hard to prove.

Not sure about being a bigot either, but if that is what you want to label people who just have no time for folks that steal from others, then that's your opinion and your are entitled to it.

Not me, not once.  I don't steal.  And face it, if you can't be as moral and ethical as an asshole like Lord Xia, then you should go to prison and or/pay a fine.

I am glad this never happened in the Recoding of vinyl records on to reel to reel taped, I do not know how many albums I borrowed or loaned out so they could be played on reel to reel tapes. I still have a few of those tapes for my 101/2 inch Reel to reel tape machine. The same thing was done in copying VHS Tapes. We have all done it. If some one says they have not I would put that in the BS file.

I'm going to have to respond and say that I must be in your BS file. 

Sorry, but one thing I have found out over the years is that because I did something didn't necessarily mean that others also have done it. 

That is what is called Libertarianism. It is what has turned America into the mess it is now........

http://www.sethf.com/essays/major/libstupid.php

It doesn't annoy me that she got prosecuted for stealing something, fine.

What does annoy me is that this is yet another instance which clearly demonstrates that the legal system has become a big fat slot machine or lottery.  Pop in a lawyer and see if you can hit the jackpot.  That is indeed a much bigger problem.

The courts are here to attempt to maintain some sense of justice.  I don't see it here.  Sure, hang her, call her a witch, take her property and burn her at the stake.  Catch somebody driving 5 miles an hour over the speed limit and award $2 Million to everyone else who happened to be on the highway for having their lives endangered.  Chop off hands.  Blow 'em up if they don't think like we do.

Not what we're supposed to be about.