A mother whose teenage daughter was caught illegally downloading thousands of music files to her computer is being sued after the family were targeted by lawyers acting for the music industry body, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI).

 

Sylvia Price, 53, was incredulous when she got a letter from a law firm acting for the BPI demanding she pay a £2,500 settlement fee or face court proceedings. She says she had no idea her daughter, Emily, 14, had been downloading music, her confusion compounded by the fact that she is unfamiliar with computers.

 

But the BPI maintain that, as the holder of the internet account, she is legally liable to pay the settlement. As part of their latest effort to target those illegally downloading music, which the industry estimates costs £2.3bn a year in lost sales, the body has issued 90 such orders in the past few months, focusing on those considered the most prolific offenders.

 

Almost all of those issued with a letter have been paid without challenge, Matt Phillips, a BPI spokesman, said adding he "strongly suspects" as many as a third of those who have settled so far have been parents paying on behalf of children.

 

Comparing the illegal downloading of music, or illegal filesharing, to shoplifting, Mr Phillips said: "Parents have to be aware of the dangers of leaving children to do as they please on the internet unsupervised, and be aware that if they fileshare, they face potential litigation. We have made great efforts to raise awareness of the dangers, but obviously, in some cases, that is not getting through."

 

If Mrs Price does not pay within two weeks, the £2,500 fee will rise to £4,000. She says she has no way of paying on time. "I don't know where I'm going to get the money from. I'm worried. I arrived home from work to find this letter and I don't know what to do. I don't even know how to use a computer. I've never even switched one on. I just pay the bills."

 

As in many families, the computer was primarily intended for her daughter's homework, meaning Mrs Price was unable to carry out continual supervision as to what Emily was using the computer for, she said.

 

After being made aware of the practice of filesharing through a television programme, Mrs Phillips confronted her daughter but she denied any knowledge. BPI's law firm, Wiggin & Co, said that Emily had been breaking the law for two years. Emily admits downloading 1,400 songs to her computer, including albums by her favourite bands Oasis and Coldplay. For her part, she insists she had no idea she what she was doing was illegal. She said: "Everyone I know at school does it. I download songs from other people's files but didn't know it was wrong".

 

[independent]

hmmm...interesting

Note that it says "thousands" of songs. Excessive to say the least.................... :stunned:

Lesson: Download, just don't share your files openly.

So, my question is... Is downloading songs off of this website illegal? Even the live songs that probably aren't copyrighted?

o my i just unshared all my movie and music files... :sneaky: :dozey:

:sick: What is the world coming to... She's 14 years old dammit!

Hope BPI rots in hell.

I wonder how these people can live with themselves. :/

Well I mean I guess they are making a point here, which is probably their intention. It is just sad that it had to be that girl you know?

Scare tactics!!

:sick: What is the world coming to... She's 14 years old dammit!

Hope BPI rots in hell.

I wonder how these people can live with themselves. :/

Well I'm 15 :sneaky: *evil chipmunk laugh*

For her part, she insists she had no idea she what she was doing was illegal. She said: "Everyone I know at school does it. I download songs from other people's files but didn't know it was wrong".

 

[independent]

 

That is a load of crap, I'm sure she knew exactly what she was doing....

"Everyone I know at school does it.

 

But THAT'S almost certainly true!!

true..true

someone in my town got caught and was fined 250,000. its nuts...

What do they expect, that everytime you download a song your going to go out and buy the cd, f@#k that. Most bands being downloaded have a hell of alot more money than us. This is just capitalist garbage. :(

Damn if they found out about downloading here, the whole country would be sued :lol: :lol:

:lol:

BPI attacking children

 

As there is probably no way Mrs. Price will find the money to pay off these sharks by Wednesday, I think we should start a collection to pay it. What do you say? It only takes 500 people to each chip in a fiver and that will be the end of the agony for Emily and Sylvia Price.

 

To the PBI: Illegal it may be for Emily Price to download some songs, but it seems very unlikely that these can be regarded as lost sales - do you really think she has that much pocket money?

 

You have made youselves look like ogres.

 

Do not be surprised if this move costs you heavily in terms of public opinion.

 

I am a programmer.

 

Today I start work on a lawyer-resistant filesharing system.

Re: BPI attacking children

 

As there is probably no way Mrs. Price will find the money to pay off these sharks by Wednesday, I think we should start a collection to pay it. What do you say? It only takes 500 people to each chip in a fiver and that will be the end of the agony for Emily and Sylvia Price.

 

To the PBI: Illegal it may be for Emily Price to download some songs, but it seems very unlikely that these can be regarded as lost sales - do you really think she has that much pocket money?

 

You have made youselves look like ogres.

 

Do not be surprised if this move costs you heavily in terms of public opinion.

 

I am a programmer.

 

Today I start work on a lawyer-resistant filesharing system.

 

Interesting...........................................I'm surprised someone hadn't thought of that already!

they should go after people with child porn on their computers, oh wait thats not costing anyone $$$

Yeah - they do seem to get their priorities wrong very often. Just like the police........

someone in my town got caught and was fined 250' date='000. its nuts...[/quote']

 

:o I don't know anyone who got caught although there are warnings everywhere.

I share nothing...well it could happen to one of my mates, he all has them in a shared folder... :confused:

It's just been announced they're going to go after the "download" software writers, too!! :angry: