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Well, someone finally lost big on one of those infernal RIAA lawsuits because of an ignorant, technophobic judge. Cecilia Gonzalez has been ordered to pay US $22,500. I'm sure she rolled her eyes as her chauffeur handed her a checkbook so she could scribble out a draft right away. Oops! She's not rich? What will she do, then? Here's what I hope doesn't happen.
A famous person pays it
Please, no DJs, "radio personalities" or celebrities with offers of money! If the fine is paid, the RIAA will only be encouraged to continue its financial terrorism. As a protest against its very existence, the fine must not be paid by anyone. There are enough outraged people that can and will support this if someone has the courage to stand up for what is right.
She sells something important to pay it
I hope she doesn't sell her house or car to pay this ridiculous fine. A better option might be chapter 7 bankruptcy, especially if she has a lot of credit card debts. There are lawyers who specialize in such things, and they don't usually cost a lot.
Jail time
I don't know what the penalties for ignoring fines are in her state, but if it involves jail time, it would be a bad decision to make her serve it. Every revolution in the history of civilization begins with a few martyrs who are made to suffer the consequences of injustice at the hands of the government. Look up the history of every single revolution and civil war, and you will find such instances; preventing them is paramount to the continuation of the government as we know it. If this woman is sent to jail because she downloaded music, it could turn into the beginning of something awful for either the RIAA or the entire US government in general.
We all know that downloading music is not stealing. To steal, you must deprive someone of a physical good. You have to physically "take stuff" to steal. An electronic file deprives no one of any physical good. Not buying a CD because you downloaded it is not deprivation; someone who "legally" purchases downloadable music is also not buying a CD. By the judge's reasoning, "legal" music downloaders should also be subjected to fines of astronomical proportions.
The law that makes this travesty of justice possible was designed not for people, but for those trying to sell bootleg recordings. It was meant for artists to prevent businesses from exploiting their work without royalty. The spirit of the law has not been honored in the case of Cecilia Gonzalez and the thousands of other innocent Americans who are being sued by the RIAA and MPAA. Here's to civil disobedience and hoping that there are reasonable people in the government who can help combat the RIAA's campaign of financial terror against music downloaders.
Although I don't generally support such actions because they are usually used solely as revenge, I am glad to see that there is some vigilante justice in the works.
Sources
Copyright 2005 Jem Matzan.
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