There was undoubtedly dancing in the halls of the RIAA and more than one major label executive suite as the jury handed down a guilty verdict in the case of a Minnesota mother accused of illegal downloading.
This was the first RIAA downloading trial to be held before a full jury and the damages awarded by the judge amount to $9250 for each of the 24 songs proven to be downloaded.
COMMENTARY: While some in the industry will declare this a major victory, one has to also ask what longer term damage will this judgment cause? When a business treats its customers as criminals, how much loyalty can be expected in return? And when the
punishment awarded seems so excessive, how much backlash has been created?
Clearly downloading music without permission is an illegal act. But unfortunately along the information super highway, P2P use has become the equivalent of speeding – a crime committed millions of times daily. Instead of suing Mom, the music industry must accept this fact and move forward with new models, providing new incentives for purchase and seeking new means to monetize music.
