This is the kind of story I don’t like to write, but sometimes you have to do things like this. It’s my sad duty to inform you that our birdy in Duluth just msged me to say that the verdict is in on the RIAA vs. Jammie Thomas trial. Regular readers note that we’ve been following this trial, as it’s the first suit by the RIAA to make it to the trial phase. The judge has ruled in favor of the RIAA, and ruled that Thomas must $222,000 to the evil empire. This is horrible news.
We’ve been pulling for Thomas for taking a stand against the RIAA. We think its strong-arm, bullying tactics are downright heinous. In addition, we think they’re so wrong-thinking that any court would be crazy to side with them. We were wrong.
The real bad news is that now that the RIAA has one victory under its belt, it’s likely to look for new blood. Look for an avalanche of suits to be announced in the near future. With luck, someone in a more humanistic jurisdiction will also fight, and if that person wins, then it could reverse Thomas’s trial, as we’re hoping.
In the meantime, keep an eye on your shared folder. And your mailbox.