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Music industry settles for just $7,000 from suburban family in downloading lawsuit
The music industry has agreed to accept just $7,000 (£4,800) after settling an illegal downloading lawsuit against a suburban family it pursued for four year
In a landmark legal action, five record companies accused Patricia Santangelo, a mother of five from Wappingers Falls in New York state, of illegally downloading and distributing music.
Mrs Santangelo, 46, claimed she couldn't have downloaded anything from the internet because she didn't know how to do it.
She was one of thousands of people sued in an anti-piracy campaign by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) but she refused to settle.
Her accusers eventually dropped the case against her but instead sued two of her children, Michelle and Robert, who were then aged 20 and 16.
The music industry has agreed to accept just $7,000 (£4,800) after settling an illegal downloading lawsuit against a suburban family it pursued for four year
In a landmark legal action, five record companies accused Patricia Santangelo, a mother of five from Wappingers Falls in New York state, of illegally downloading and distributing music.
Mrs Santangelo, 46, claimed she couldn't have downloaded anything from the internet because she didn't know how to do it.
She was one of thousands of people sued in an anti-piracy campaign by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) but she refused to settle.
Her accusers eventually dropped the case against her but instead sued two of her children, Michelle and Robert, who were then aged 20 and 16.
They were alleged to have downloaded and distributed more than 1,000 songs, including "MMMBop" by Hanson and "Beat It" by Michael Jackson.
The pair denied wrongdoing but the music industry, which loses many millions of pounds from illegal downloading, said Michelle had admitted piracy in a deposition and that Robert had been implicated by a family friend.
Jordan Glass, Mrs Santangelo's lawyer said on Monday that the industry "didn't expect someone like Patti to fight back. ... She was up against billions of dollars of corporate power".
The $7,000 settlement, which can be paid in instalments, must be first approved by a judge.
A spokesman for the RIAA refused to say how much had been spent fighting the case and stressed that it was "not a question of it being 'worth it' or a 'victory'".
She said the lawsuit had succeeded in showing that breaking the law has consequences and in steering music fans toward legal online services "that fairly compensate musicians and labels".
She said the lawsuit had succeeded in showing that breaking the law has consequences and in steering music fans toward legal online services "that fairly compensate musicians and labels".
Roger Goodman leaving ABC News
TV vet to focus on his own production company
On the heels of directing the Oscars, veteran ABC News director Roger Goodman is leaving the news division to focus his efforts on his own production company, beginning May 1.
Goodman will continue to serve as a consultant to ABC News.
On the entertainment side, Goodman most recently directed the 81st Academy Awards telecast in February. At ABC Entertainment, he also has directed the Daytime Emmy Awards, the Primetime Emmy and Oscar countdown shows, "David Blaine: Drowned Alive," "David Blaine: Frozen in Time," "Michael Jackson Talks to Oprah," and the only live broadcast of ABC's "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition."
TV/TV will not be silenced
Musicians are no strangers to making sacrifices for the sake of art, but when you’re a New York-based band like TV/TV, those sacrifices can translate to slightly extreme risks—like getting the boot from your conveniently located downtown apartment.
Are your biggest musical influences more contemporary bands or artists from decades past?
I think it’s a mix of both. The Killers are the biggest influence on me, but also bands like The Hives, U2, The Police, and The Rolling Stones. I’m definitely influenced by stuff that’s going on right now, even Lady Gaga for example, but mostly my roots are in the classic rock bands. Our bass player is really influenced by indie bands like Radiohead and Spoon, and then our guitar player finds most of his influence from The Beach Boys and The Beatles, to Michael Jackson. So between us we cover so much of the musical spectrum which is great.
Full article http://www.blackbookmag.com/article/tv-tv/7304
Today in
Michael Jackson History
Michael Jackson History
1993 - Michael Jackson received the Caring For Kids Award at the Children's Choice Awards.
2005 - A judge in a civil lawsuit against Michael Jackson denied a request to place a lien on Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch. The suit was filed by F. Marc Schaffel, a former producer and business associate of Jackson. Schaffel claimed that he was owed $3 million in loans and producing fees.
