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Second Degree Murder And Other Crimes Cheaper than Pirating Music

Posted by Shuttercraft • 8/27/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
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I'm outraged that the Obama administration is supporting the RIAA on the case against Jammie Thomas, a single mother of four who has to pay them $1.92 million for downloading songs. That's more expensive than murder and six other crimes:

• Child abduction: Fine of $25,000 and up to three years in prison, which can be accounted as $50,233 per year (that was the median household income in 2007, probably down because of the economic crisis). Total: $175,699.

• Start a dogfighting ring: $50,000.

• Murder someone on the second degree, a Class 1 felony: $778,495, which accounts for a $25,000 fine and four to 15 years in prison.

What Gives?

User Comments

8/27/09

dbowles1017

Metallica needs that gold laced pool man... Why can't you understand that?

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8/27/09

Stillthinking

Ooh, I find this disturbing as well. I need to read more about this, but I have a feeling this has more to do with protecting copyright laws and supporting the court decisions than it has to do with the decision itself. It's the big picture, because we do not want to give the executive office the power to overturn civil litigation.

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8/27/09

b0ll0cks

The music nazi's are out of control. The artist's need to get paid, but these folks are just taking things way overboard. Is the solution huge fines, I don't think so but I stopped downloading music. So I guess there tactics work. The sad thing about it is that the actual people that are pirating this stuff rarely get caught and some poor slob who downloaded a couple songs for his Ipod ends up having to pay a ridiculous fine. The record companies need to come out with a new way to market, release, and sell their wares.

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8/28/09

gerryPlanetEarth

I totally agree with you...They could not prove that jammie actually committed the so-called crime and the true market value of what she allegedly stole would be 10 to 100 dollars...

I wrote a short post about this...

www.planetearthpeaceparty.com/2007/10/kazaa-limewire-file-sharers-listen-up...

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