Round 3: Jammie Thomas-Rasset Loses Again Vs. RIAA

Jammie Thomas-Rasset

ALL ACCESS reported in FEBRUARY (NET NEWS 2/10) that there would be another round in the JAMMIE THOMAS-RASSET vs. the RECORDING INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA fight, and it has begun this week. A MINNEAPOLIS jury ruled in JUNE that THOMAS-RASSET downloaded and illegally made available 24 songs for distribution on KaZaA. It found her liable for $80,000 for each of the songs.

A U.S. district court then lowered the imposed damages, with Judge MICHAEL DAVIS calling the $1.92 million judgment "monstrous and shocking," reducing it to $54,000. He gave the recording industry the option of accepting the reduced damages or scheduling a new trial on the issue of damages.

Now, THOMAS-RASSET has lost another round in court. CNET reports, "a jury in MINNEAPOLIS decided TODAY (11/3) that she was liable for $1.5 million in copyright infringement damages to CAPITOL RECORDS, or $62,500 for each song she illegally shared in APRIL 2006."

"We are again thankful to the jury for its service in this matter and that they recognized the severity of the defendant's misconduct," the RIAA said in a statement. "Now with three jury decisions behind us along with a clear affirmation of Ms. THOMAS-RASSET's willful liability, it is our hope that she finally accepts responsibility for her actions."

An appeal of this decision is expected. "We intend to raise our constitutional challenge again before Judge DAVIS," said THOMAS-RASSET's lawyer, KIWI CAMARA to CNET. "The fight continues."

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