US record industry sues hundred of 'pirates'
The recording industry in the US sued another 477 computer users – including dozens of college students at schools in 11 states – accusing them of illegally sharing music across the Internet.
The Recording Industry Association of America, the trade group for the largest music labels, praised efforts by colleges and universities to use technology and school policies to crack down on music piracy on their computer networks.
But it said the most egregious offenders on campus deserved to be sued.
“There is also a complementary need for enforcement by copyright owners against the serious offenders to remind people that this activity is illegal,” said the group’s president, Cary Sherman.
The recording industry filed its latest complaints against “John Doe” defendants, identifying them only by their numeric Internet protocol addresses.
It said lawyers will work through the courts to request subpoenas against the universities and some commercial Internet providers to learn the defendants’ names.
The latest cases bring the number of lawsuits filed by the recording industry to 2,454 since last summer.
None of the cases has yet gone to trial, and 437 people so far have agreed to pay financial penalties of around €2,650 as settlements.
The trade group said the latest lawsuits targeted students at colleges including Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia Institute of Technology, Princeton University in New Jersey and Texas A&M University.
