Mom Faces Massive File-Sharing Fines After DOJ Sides With RIAA

Sux to be her.

She should counter sue for music being such low quality that it would push someone to resort to bootlegging it.

Too bad Johnny Cochran not alive. He could probably make that argument and win.

 

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Mom Faces Massive File-Sharing Fines After DOJ Sides With RIAA
Justice Department prosecutors argue that Jammie Thomas' $222,000 judgment is in line with the U.S. Copyright Act.

URL: http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=204701201

The Minnesota mother who vowed to fight the Recording Industry Association of America after she was convicted of illegally downloading copyrighted music now has another heavyweight to contend with.
The U.S. Justice Department has sided with the RIAA and a jury's $222,000 judgment against Jammie Thomas for illegally downloading and sharing copyrighted music. The amount breaks down to $9,250 per song. The case, Capitol v. Thomas, was the first file-sharing lawsuit to make it to trial. It gained widespread attention because of that.
Thomas vowed to fight the judgment and appealed. Her lawyer argued that the damages were too steep and that the clause in the Copyright Act violates due process because it's "severe" and out of sync with actual damages. The clause allows fines up to $150,000 per illegally downloaded song.
In a court filing, DOJ argued that the law allows penalties to be steeper than actual damages.
The agency said that the damages awarded under the Copyright Act's statutory damages provision didn't violate due process and aren't so severe and oppressive to be disproportionate to the offense or obviously unreasonable.
DOJ has asked the court not to rule on the constitutionality of the damage clause of the Copyright Act, or to rule in its favor. To support its argument, DOJ has pointed out that it's impossible to know how many times a song has been shared once it becomes available on a file-sharing site.
After the ruling in October, Thomas, a single mother who said she earns about $36,000 a year, issued a rallying cry, promising to "be a thorn in the side of record companies" for the rest of her life. She voiced her protests in a blog, her MySpace page, and in media interviews.
"I will not be bullied," she said.
Her words seemed to resonate as critics of the RIAA gathered online to show support and donated money to help cover legal costs.

The last few weeks

I saw a truck on fire at the gas station- Just the place for a fire...I don't know what took the fire dept so long (the station was right across the street- LITERALLY)

I made butter from scratch- Martha Stewart would be proud

Girls Night Out- Oh YEA!

Had good times at graduation party

I love bonsai trees- So cute!

 

 

 

 

NY Botanical Garden Kiku Exhibit

 

Japanese Mum - this was one of 186 flowers on one plant! It was so cool. All I could think of was that I wish that I had the time and patience to do that. Oh yea, the people responsible trained for 12 years and they are still not finished with their training.

 

Nippon Daisy bonsai - I don't know if daisy are supposed to be trees, but the guy that cultivated this plant made it into a tree.

Designin Skills

 

The invitation to the wedding- my design

Designin Skills

 
A couple is getting married on 10/13 and I designed the "libro de firmas" for the reception. I also designed the invitations. I was so proud of my work that I had to share.

Deer got hit by a car

 

Pull up your pants!

To read the whole article

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/17/baggy.pants.ap/index.html

This comment “Shop owner Mack Murray said Trenton's proposed ordinance unfairly targets blacks” shows how ignorant some people are. It is not about targeting blacks, it is about making people dress with some decency. They act as if it their right to show their underwear as a statement. It is not. And it is sad that so many black people do not have more respect for themselves to dress with decency.

Another statement from the article “There's a fear with people associating the way you dress with crimes being committed”. I agree totally. If any of these people took a class in statistics, maybe they would understand. If I see a guy with his britches down by his knees, I think “wannabe gangsta” who might try to rob me to prove to his buddies that he is a thug. He might be a nice law abiding guy, but I don’t want to take that chance. And if I feel that way and I am black, I know the white people must really be freaking out. The baggy pants black guy probably makes them think of every negative stereotype they have heard about. Instead of these black guys trying to look like people in jail, rappers, or street thugs, how about trying to look like a business person?  

 

TOP rating articles that I have written- check them out!!!

Movie reviews: Happy Feet

http://www.helium.com/tm/478978/happy-story-penguin-mumble

Fast and easy recipes: Boneless chicken breasts

http://www.helium.com/tm/538712/recipes-chicken-ricethis-recipe

Why most people choose a fixed income over owning a business

http://www.helium.com/tm/478977/owning-business-requires-effort

When you push too hard for the truth

http://www.helium.com/tm/560285/truth-usually-unfortunately-truth

Recipes: Chocolate icing

http://www.helium.com/tm/486218/recipe-chocolatiada-frosting-because

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/09/12/martin/index.html

I agree with this commentary. People are all up in arms about the dog fighting, but nothing is said when such viciousness is directed to other humans.

 

Why won't Mary-Kate Olsen smile?

http://www.cnn.com/2007/SHOWBIZ/TV/09/06/people.marykateolsen.ap/index.html

Despite what the article says, I say she is hungry. If I was malnourished I would not smile either.

WATCH OUT!!!

 
The coppers are out in full force this Labor Day weekend. slow down, keep it safe, and don't drink and drive. Chances are that you will get caught.

Fish jump in the boat

You like night fishing? Watch this and you just might rethink that. On the plus side there would be a fish fry every weekend. Somebody bring the hushpuppies.

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-760820435866344019&q=fish+jump+in+boat&total=117&start=0&num=100&so=0&type=search&plindex=0

 

I have a basil plant on my back porch.And my little green friend thinks that he is hiding. I don't mind him wanting a little shade cause it is hot outside. As long as he stays outside, he won't die. I kill what comes in the house because I don't play around with critters in the house.

 

I have been very busy these days. So many side businesses because I am determined that something will make me some money one day. So to that end, I have begun to make jewelry. This is a piece that I made and sold. I am making more stuff to post on www.etsy.com (a site that only sells things handmade). If you search for seller name: Designsbonitas, you can find what items I am currently selling.

Tractor pull vid

Tractor Pull Saluda style

  Last Friday night I went to Saluda for the annual Tracker Pull. It was fun stuff. The funny part about it is the looks that I got when I arrived. Of course I was fashionably late. It started at 7:30 and I got there about 10:30. I was very conspicuous because I happened to be the only one like me there (i.e., the only brown girl). Some of the looks that I got seemed to be saying "Are you lost?". But there was great fun to be had with Teila. And the guy in the above pic was someone that I met during the course of the night. He became more eloquent speaking the more Bud he drank. A couple more hours and he might have been ready for a toastmaster's dinner or something. He was cracking me up with the constant taunts of the sorry Dodge and Chevy trucks during their drive of shame after hauling loads like little girls (instead of like REAL trucks). As soon as I get some video uploaded, I will post that so you know what a tractor/truck pull is supposed to be like.

 
So last week I went to the American Museum of Nat History because it was something to do on a Friday afternoon. I did not know about Starry Nights Jazz until we went in. The music was pretty good. I tried to take some video. There are a couple of kids that kept running in front of the cam. And ppl wonder why their children get kidnapped. They let the kids run all over the place instead of keeping them in check...but I digress. Back to the music. It was good. I would do it again.

immigration comments

More comments about the immigration debate.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/07/31/navarrette/index.html

 

This guy said the same thing that I said about a week ago. The Spanish people that come to US, yes many illegally, are contributing to a economic boom in towns that were previously in decline. Many people, especially in the South, are stuck on the way things used to be and do not want change. They freak out because signs are in 2 languages. And they make comments like “We don’t speak Mexican” which reveal their ignorance. And many times these are the same people that are content with doing mediocre work but expect premium wages.

To these people I say “HAVE A LITTLE COMPASSION!” There are people willing to work hard to support extended families and they are also doing something for the communities in which they live. If they are not disrupting the peace, let them be.

This was on CNN the other day.

 

http://www.cnn.com/video/#/video/bestoftv/2007/07/30/roberts.blogging.pedophile.cnn

I think that the police have every right to warn the public about him. And he is complaining that his rights are being violated. How about the rights of the children he is posting to his website? I believe that they and their parents have the right to know what he is doing.

What a perv! And he wants someone to feel sorry for him. He says that he has not committed any crime against child. But in my opinion, the fact that he is talking about is just as bad as doing it. The opportunity just has not presented itself. And why should everyone just sit and wait for him to ruin some child’s life before they warn the public when he has already made known what turns him on?

 

I say let’s put up more flyers.