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Grokster Head Offers To Pay 12-Year-Old's RIAA Bill

Overhype

from the worth-the-publicity dept

Wed, Sep 10th 2003 10:48am — Mike Masnick
The back-and-forth PR battle over the RIAA's lawsuits continue. Now, Grokster's CEO, Wayne Rosso, sensing the perfect PR opportunity has offered to pay the $2,000 bill agreed to by 12-year-old Brianna LaHara yesterday for daring to download a nursery rhyme and some other songs. Rosso claims that he (like us all) is "disgusted" by the lawsuits and forcing this 12-year-old to pay two grand. Of course, I'd say he also senses the good publicity that can come out of paying the bill for her. The problem, though, is that no one is going to come along and offer to pay the bills of the next 12-year-old who gets sued.
6 Comments

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  1. identicon
    AMetamorphosis, 10 Sep 2003 @ 11:07am

    No Subject Given

    but the publicity generated by this is worth far more than the 2 grand.

    I applaud this man for using the awful RIAA to his benefit by paying the extortion fee imposed on a 12 year old.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  2. identicon
    Joe Schmoe, 10 Sep 2003 @ 1:56pm

    Nice gesture

    It's a very nice gesture, and good free publicity for himself, but sadly it does not clear the criminal record this person now has as a result of such rediculousness... (sp?)

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  3. identicon
    Munich, 10 Sep 2003 @ 4:59pm

    Re: Nice gesture

    These are civil lawsuits for damages and not criminal convictions (there will be no criminal record).

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  4. identicon
    Anonymous Coward, 10 Sep 2003 @ 9:26pm

    Re: Nice gesture

    No, civil actions are recorded on your credit history... now the kid is definely fscked for life.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  5. identicon
    AMetamorphosis, 11 Sep 2003 @ 6:35am

    Re: Nice gesture

    That is the result of a society that records everything ... regardless of the circumstances. Without human reasoning ( that computers do not have ) machines cannot and will not be able to ascertain the subtle differences between the two.
    Do we want to be more like the machines or have the machines more like us ? It is a case of moderation and allowing human intervention to over rule mistaken assertions regarding human beings. Technology is fantastic ... just not foolproof ... much like the humans who invented it.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]

  6. identicon
    LittleW0lf, 11 Sep 2003 @ 7:02pm

    Re: Nice gesture

    No, civil actions are recorded on your credit history... now the kid is definely fscked for life.

    Or, at least according to the Fair Credit Reporting Act of 1997, 10 years. They are required by law to remove any negative information after 10 years.

    Of course, that requires that the credit reporting companies follow the law, which they seldom do.

    [ link to this | view in thread ]


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