This is obviously a very sad and misguided decision, and sets a worrying precedent. The RIAA are probably very pleased with themselves - but they shouldn’t be. All the reports of this case, aside from the cowardly neutral - sorry, independent - reporting of the likes of Billboard, are leading with the words “single mother” closely followed by “$220,000″. Yes, it’s obvious Jammie Thomas was guilty, but it’s also obvious she’s being made a scapegoat for an industry that is still desperate to turn the clocks back to the mid-’90s, and pretend the internet never happened. They are hurting culture (see previous posts for an explanation why), and they need to be resisted at every opportunity.

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