8 Ways to Sunday

Peer-to-peer software companies and legal music download services have come to the rescue of 12-year-old Brianna LaHara of Manhattan. Threatened by the RIAA with up to $150,000 in fines for illegally sharing copyrighted music online, Brianna’s mother opted to settle for $2,000 out of court. Now P2P Unlimited, a coalition of P2P companies, has stepped forward to pay the girl’s fine. In addition, Music download service Musicrebellion.com has set up an account in her name, credited with $2000 that she can use to download music legally at about $1 per song.

While I doubt we’ll see such generosity toward older RIAA targets, I’m glad to see this show of sympathy and support for Brianna. I understand the concerns of copyright holders in this matter, but the RIAA’s thuggish business practices are way overboard and suing a 12 year-old child for $150,000 is absolutely inexcusable. I think P2P Unlimited’s executive director Adam Eisgrau said it rather nicely: “We don’t condone copyright infringement, but it’s time for the RIAA’s winged monkeys to fly back to the castle and leave the Munchkins alone.”