Filesharing Fines: Outrageous

Joel Tenenbaum found himself in the news recently under the most serious of circumstances when he was convicted of illegal file sharing in a case brought against him by the music industry. In what many are saying is a ludicrous decision, a jury fined Tenenbaum a massive $675,000 for downloading 30 files over 8 years.

After the jury made their judgment announcement, the judge was forced to comment that she thought the fine was “unconstitutional” given the small nature of the crime committed. In fact, she took the decision to reduce the fine to the more reasonable amount of $67,500. Unfortunately, although Tenenbaum was relieved at her decision, he still faces the prospect of the music industry appealing against the judgment.

Joel Tenenbaum is not the only member of the public to be penalized for file sharing in recent times. There have been a number of high profile cases brought against lowly members of the public, all accused of illegal file sharing. Most of them were fined huge amounts for relatively minor offences. Many insiders feel that the music industry is making a mistake prosecuting this type of individual when lots of evidence suggests small scale file sharing is beneficial in marketing new and emerging artists.

Filesharing Fines: Outrageous

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