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Date: Thursday, November 22, 2007

US Single Mother Ordered To Pay Record Companies Over £100,000

Jammie Thomas, a 30-year-old Native American from Minnesota, was fined a record $222,000 recently for illegally downloading and sharing music online. The fine has shocked Internet users worldwide, particularly as Thomas, who has two children aged between 11 and 13, is expected to face bankruptcy over the charge.

Although around 26,000 people have faced lawsuits by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), most chose to settle out of court. Thomas is the first person to be taken to trial by the RIAA and it is for this reason that critics believe she was made an example of. Indeed, the prosecution freely admit that Thomas’s case was intended to deter other file sharers from participating in Internet piracy. “This case has put file sharing back in the news,” admitted Cary Sherman, president of the RIAA. Richard Gabriel, lead prosecutor in the case, echoes this sentiment by stating, “the need for deterrence here is great.”

The fine imposed certainly seems unrealistic. Although the jury heard that Thomas downloaded around 1,700 songs, the charges in the case itself applied to 24 specific songs. This means that for each of the 24 songs discussed, a whopping $9,250 fine was imposed. Thomas’s lawyer, Brian Toder, argues that these songs could have legally been purchased for around $24, which certainly makes the fine appear excessive.

Thomas and her lawyer are thought to have officially asked the jury to reconsider the fine. Hopefully, they will be successful in their plea as all fines incurred are expected to be paid off by Thomas herself. However, Thomas’s supporters have called for major file sharing software companies to donate to her cause. A ‘Free Jammie’ campaign has also been launched, which allows Jammie’s supporters to help her out financially.

While the six major record companies involved in this case may believe they are pursuing a moral victory, is their cause really worth driving a young woman to bankruptcy? Jammie Thomas’s supporters certainly don’t seem to think so.

Sources:
The Guardian
The Times
Associated Press