Attorney General
Associate Attorney General Nominee Sued File Sharers for RIAA
Posted Jan 7, 2009, 01:09 pm CST
By Debra Cassens Weiss
Technology blogs are talking about some controversial lawsuits filed by Barack Obama’s nominee for associate attorney general.
Jenner & Block’s Tom Perrelli has represented the Recording Industry Association of America in “a slew of cases, including a high-profile bid to unmask file sharers without the requirement of a judge reviewing the evidence first,” CNET News reports. One suit targeted a student in Michigan and another targeted a student at Princeton for sharing music on the Internet.
The Dallas Morning News’ Technology Blog was unimpressed with the nomination. “If you hoped that Barack Obama's election would lead to a different government attitude towards file-sharing lawsuits and draconian copyright restrictions, well, don't bet on it,” the blog said.
Last month the RIAA said it would end its controversial practice of suing consumers over illegal music downloads via the Internet.
Perrelli would be third in command at the Justice Department, overseeing its civil division, the antitrust division and the civil rights division, the CNET story says.
Perrelli is managing partner of Jenner & Block’s Washington, D.C., office. He served in the Justice Department during the Clinton administration.