[LINK] Fwd: RIAA loses in file sharing case

[Roger Clarke]

>http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20060713-7257.html
>
>RIAA loses in file sharing case
>7/13/2006 3:10:41 PM, by Eric Bangeman
>
>Mothers. You've got to love them. They give birth to us, feed us, 
>clothe us, teach us to chew with our mouths closed, and go to bat 
>for us against the RIAA. Sometimes they win (PDF).
>
>An Oklahoma mother, Debbie Foster, was accused by the RIAA of 
>copyright infringement back in November 2004, and her daughter 
>Amanda was added to the complaint in July 2005. According to the 
>RIAA, the Internet account paid for by Debbie Foster was used for 
>file sharing, with an unspecified number of songs downloaded.
>
>The music group offered to settle the case for US$5,000, but Foster 
>decided to take her chances in court. She requested that the RIAA 
>provide specifics such as the dates of the alleged downloading and 
>the files involved. The RIAA failed to provide the requested 
>information and Foster filed a motion for summary judgment. In turn, 
>the RIAA decided to cut its losses and asked the court to withdraw 
>its case. The court approved the RIAA's request, but named Foster 
>the winner and awarded her attorneys fees over the RIAA's objections.
>
>In his opinion, Judge Lee R. West wrote, "because this Court finds 
>that the plaintiffs' voluntary dismissal with prejudice services as 
>a complete adjudication of the issues set forth in their complaint 
>and acts as a bar to further action on their claims, the court 
>concludes the matter has been finally adjudicated in the defendant's 
>favor... [which] represents a judicially sanctioned material 
>alteration in the legal relationship between Deborah Foster and the 
>plaintiffs. Ms. Foster is therefore the prevailing party for 
>purposes of the Copyright Act."
>
>Debbie Foster is not the only mother to stand up to the RIAA. A 
>42-year-old disabled, single mother from Oregon, Tanya Anderson, is 
>currently fighting the RIAA's file-sharing allegations. She denies 
>downloading hip-hop over Kazaa and decided to fight back after being 
>contacted by the Settlement Support Center. There is also the case 
>of Patricia Santangelo, a divorced mother of five living in New 
>York. Her case is currently headed for trial in the US District 
>Court of the Southern District of New York, after a motion to 
>dismiss was denied.
>
>This is hardly the first setback for the RIAA, which has previously 
>sued grandmothers, both living and dead. Despite that, the music 
>industry appears to be pressing ahead with its litigious strategy.
>We contacted the RIAA for comment on the case, but it declined to 
>comment on the specifics of the case.

-- 
Roger Clarke                  http://www.anu.edu.au/people/Roger.Clarke/

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Visiting Professor in Info Science & Eng  Australian National University
Visiting Professor in the eCommerce Program      University of Hong Kong
Visiting Professor in the Cyberspace Law & Policy Centre      Uni of NSW