Manhattan Federal Judge Calls Record Companies' Request for $75 Trillion 'Absurd'

[Travelsonic]

Does $75 trillion even exist? The thirteen record companies that are suing file-sharing company Lime Wire for copyright infringement certainly thought so. When they won a summary judgment ruling last May they demanded damages that could reach this mind-boggling amount, which is more than five times the national debt.

Manhattan federal district court judge Kimba Wood, however, saw things differently. She labeled the record companies' damages request "absurd" and contrary to copyright laws in a 14-page opinion.

Article "Manhattan Federal Judge Kimba Wood Calls Record Companies' Request for $75 Trillion in Damages 'Absurd' in Lime Wire Copyright Case "

Only way I can respond to the idiotic demand of these record companies:

Seriously, 75 TRILLION DOLLARS? Are you ****ing kidding me?

 

[The Mark]

That couldn't possibly be anywhere near the amount of money they even hypothetically lost.

Hell, I doubt any of those record companies have made a profit of even a hundredth of that much in the entire existence of their business…

 

[Real Korimyr #9]

Crucify them and leave their corpses in front of the courthouse as a warning. Our laws are not their playthings.

 

[The Mark]

Crucify them and leave their corpses in front of the courthouse as a warning. Our laws are not their playthings.

But, they could be, given other circumstances...I think we need new laws in this area.
Laws that it seems we are too lazy to think up...

 

[molten_dragon]

The ridiculous part is not that they're asking for 75 trillion dollars, but that they're simply asking for the same kinds of penalties that they have received numerous times in the past. For some reason they (and various courts as well) think that illegally downloading a song that costs 99 cents entitles the record company to hundreds or thousands of dollars in damages. Just recently there was the story of the woman that was ordered to pay a couple hundred thousand dollars in damages for downloading 15 songs or something. The only difference in this case is that the number of illegal downloads is in the millions instead of a couple dozen.

 

[rathi]

FYI, 75 trillion is more than the GDP of the entire world combined.

 

[Dr_Patrick]

It's only the death rattle of a dying industry. The fact that they would even try to demand that much money shows how much they've lost the plot.

 

[Simon W. Moon]

Our laws are not their playthings.

If only...

 

[The Mark]

The ridiculous part is not that they're asking for 75 trillion dollars, but that they're simply asking for the same kinds of penalties that they have received numerous times in the past. For some reason they (and various courts as well) think that illegally downloading a song that costs 99 cents entitles the record company to hundreds or thousands of dollars in damages. Just recently there was the story of the woman that was ordered to pay a couple hundred thousand dollars in damages for downloading 15 songs or something. The only difference in this case is that the number of illegal downloads is in the millions instead of a couple dozen.

It would seem far more reasonable to fine someone, at the most, 10 times the cost of the song they illegally downloaded.

Even that is a bit extreme, but it's still apparently FAR less than currently is possible.

 

[Deuce]

Clearly every single person who ever downloaded a song on Limewire would have bought the CD for every song they downloaded had Limewire not existed. (multiple copies even, for those who downloaded more than one song from a particular album)

It's only fair compensation.

 

[The Mark]

Clearly every single person who ever downloaded a song on Limewire would have bought the CD for every song they downloaded had Limewire not existed. (multiple copies even, for those who downloaded more than one song from a particular album)

It's only fair compensation.

Unable...to...breath...too much...sarcasm...*choke*....

 

[Taylor]

$75 Trillion... :lamo

If every single person on the planet illegally downloaded 10,000 songs on Limewire, you'd STILL be trillions under their figure for damages.

 

[jamesrage]

Article "Manhattan Federal Judge Kimba Wood Calls Record Companies' Request for $75 Trillion in Damages 'Absurd' in Lime Wire Copyright Case "

Only way I can respond to the idiotic demand of these record companies:

Seriously, 75 TRILLION DOLLARS? Are you ****ing kidding me?

I am no lawyer but if this was a criminal trial wouldn't these record companies have to prove that lime wire caused them to lose 75 trillion dollars? This is totally absurd almost like some little kid saying I want a million gillion gabillion dollars.

 

[Mayor Snorkum]

It would seem far more reasonable to fine someone, at the most, 10 times the cost of the song they illegally downloaded.

Even that is a bit extreme, but it's still apparently FAR less than currently is possible.

You mean ten times the cost of the song plus ten times the cost of prosecuting them or suing them, don't you? The criminal should bear the cost of his prosecution.

 

[TheBook]

Clearly every single person who ever downloaded a song on Limewire would have bought the CD for every song they downloaded had Limewire not existed. (multiple copies even, for those who downloaded more than one song from a particular album)

It's only fair compensation.

*RIAA Logic Mode Engaged* Well, clearly.

 

[Your Star]

The industry has changed, downloading songs for free will never stop, and if the record companies want to survive, they need to find a new way to make revenue.

 

[Baralis]

The industry has changed, downloading songs for free will never stop, and if the record companies want to survive, they need to find a new way to make revenue.

Several artists have already started the transformation and distribute their work for free over the internet. I believe this will soon become more mainstream. Who can really blame them? Record companies have been screwing artists for decades. With a new media outlet they can now cut out the middle man once and for all.

 

[deltabtry]

The ridiculous part is not that they're asking for 75 trillion dollars, but that they're simply asking for the same kinds of penalties that they have received numerous times in the past. For some reason they (and various courts as well) think that illegally downloading a song that costs 99 cents entitles the record company to hundreds or thousands of dollars in damages. Just recently there was the story of the woman that was ordered to pay a couple hundred thousand dollars in damages for downloading 15 songs or something. The only difference in this case is that the number of illegal downloads is in the millions instead of a couple dozen.

If this ever happened to me, well they would have to come get it and if they did well nothing like being the hunter afterwards. The music industry have been ripping off the public, the artist for years, downloading songs of the net for .99 cents and the money going directly to the artist sound a whole lot better to me and screw the recording companies let then go bankrupt or stick with live venues only.