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| Huge fine for music file-sharer | |
| (about 6 hours later) | |
| A court in the US has ordered a woman to pay $222,000 (£109,000) in damages for illegally file-sharing music. | |
| The jury ordered Jammie Thomas, 32, from Minnesota, to pay for offering to share 24 specific songs online - a cost of $9,250 per song. | The jury ordered Jammie Thomas, 32, from Minnesota, to pay for offering to share 24 specific songs online - a cost of $9,250 per song. |
| But the fine could have been millions, as record companies said she illegally shared a total of 1,702 songs. | But the fine could have been millions, as record companies said she illegally shared a total of 1,702 songs. |
| Ms Thomas was the first person accused of illegal file-sharing who decided to fight the case in court. | Ms Thomas was the first person accused of illegal file-sharing who decided to fight the case in court. |
| Each year millions of households illegally share music files, and the music industry takes it as a serious threat to its revenue. | Each year millions of households illegally share music files, and the music industry takes it as a serious threat to its revenue. |
| About 26,000 lawsuits have been filed against alleged file-sharers, but most defendants settle privately by paying a fine amounting to a few thousand dollars. | About 26,000 lawsuits have been filed against alleged file-sharers, but most defendants settle privately by paying a fine amounting to a few thousand dollars. |
| Industry defiant | Industry defiant |
| However, contesting the charge and losing will cost Jammie Thomas almost a quarter of a million dollars. | However, contesting the charge and losing will cost Jammie Thomas almost a quarter of a million dollars. |
| Thomas denied using Kazaa to share copyrighted materialHer lawyer, Brian Toder, told the Associated Press Ms Thomas was reduced to tears by the verdict. | Thomas denied using Kazaa to share copyrighted materialHer lawyer, Brian Toder, told the Associated Press Ms Thomas was reduced to tears by the verdict. |
| "This is a girl that lives from paycheque to paycheque, and now all of a sudden she could get a quarter of her paycheque garnished for the rest of her life," he said. | "This is a girl that lives from paycheque to paycheque, and now all of a sudden she could get a quarter of her paycheque garnished for the rest of her life," he said. |
| The US record industry said people would understand the verdict. | The US record industry said people would understand the verdict. |
| Richard Gabriel, a lawyer for the music companies, said the verdict was important. | Richard Gabriel, a lawyer for the music companies, said the verdict was important. |
| "This does send a message, I hope, that downloading and distributing our recordings is not OK," he told AP. | "This does send a message, I hope, that downloading and distributing our recordings is not OK," he told AP. |
| He said no decision had yet been made about what the record companies would do, if anything, to pursue collecting the money from Ms Thomas. | He said no decision had yet been made about what the record companies would do, if anything, to pursue collecting the money from Ms Thomas. |