Copyright Law
A Denial and a Low-Budget Defense in RIAA Trial
Posted Oct 4, 2007, 09:51 am CDT
By Debra Cassens Weiss
The woman accused of sharing a couple dozen copyrighted songs on the KaZaA file sharing service says she didn’t do it, but she can’t afford an expert to explain why the computer evidence suggests otherwise.
Jammie Thomas testified yesterday that she has never even heard of KaZaA, the Duluth News Tribune (reg. req.) reports. Her lawyer, Brian Toder, offered suggestions but no expert to explain why his client was incriminated by identifying information—including an IP address, a user name and a modem Media Access Control address.
Toder suggested the culprit could have been a computer hacker or someone using a wireless laptop near her window.
The Recording Industry Association of America is seeking is seeking several million dollars in damages for the file-sharing.
The six-lawyer RIAA legal team hired a computer expert for $200 an hour and uses computerized legal exhibits. Toder struggles with an overhead projector and on one occasion asked to user his opponents’ laser pointer.
The lawyer handed it over, joking, “It will cost you.’’
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Posted by Shane - 9 months, 14 hours, 46 minutes ago
The lawyer should be disbarred for mocking the poor defendant during a trial.