Copyright Law
Accused File-Sharer Won’t Back Down
Posted Oct 2, 2007, 08:57 am CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
Jammie Thomas is among 26,000 or so people who were sued by the music industry as part of a campaign to stop the illegal sharing of online music files.
But the 30-year-old single mother from Brainerd, Minn., is the only defendant whose case has made it to trial, Wired reports. Most cases settled for a few thousand dollars, according to the Associated Press.
Jury selection in the case begins today in Duluth, Minn. Thomas' lawyer, Brian Toder, said his client is willing to pay for a trial, even though it will cost more than settlement. "She came into my office and was willing to pay a retainer of pretty much what they wanted to settle for," he said. "And if someone's willing to pay a lawyer rather than pay to make it go away, that says a lot."
The industry is seeking up to $3.9 million in damages, the Duluth News Tribune (reg. req.) reports. Thomas is accused of sharing 26 copyrighted songs on a file-sharing network, including Guns N Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle" and Vanessa Williams' "Save the Best for Last."