RIAA Cutting File-Sharer Fine In Exchange For Anti-Piracy Campaign

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) is no stranger to laying down the law on those who illegal download copyrighted content, but a recent case has an interesting settlement attached. The RIAA is giving infamous file-sharer Jammie Thomas-Rasset the choice to represent an anti-piracy campaign in exchange for a lower fine.

The court case involving the RIAA and Thomas-Rasset has lasted seven years so far, but it seems like things are coming to a close. Thomas-Rasset was sued for illegally sharing 24 songs online, and after the US Supreme Court declined to hear Thomas-Rasset's appeal, the RIAA said that it would would reduce her fine, which stands at $222,000 currently.

The fine would be reduced as long as Thomas-Rasset made a public service announcement that would campaign against online piracy through the RIAA. It's quite the ultimatum, but it wasn't disclosed what the fine would be reduced to if Thomas-Rasset agreed to the proposal.

One of the big reasons why this court case has been so huge lately is that Thomas-Rasset became the first person to refuse to settle with the RIAA, and instead chose to let the RIAA take the case to court. The settlement cost was only $3,500, but Thomas-Rasset could end up paying way more than a few grand.

Her attorney said that she "is pretty opposed" to the proposal of making a public service announcement for the RIAA, and it's possible that Thomas-Rasset will be filing for bankruptcy protection in order to evade the damages that she would be getting. However, the case is still ongoing, so it's possible things may change in the near future.

SOURCE: Wired