AfterDawn: News

RIAA sues a 12-year-old

In its latest witch hunt, RIAA has managed to sue a 12-year-old girl from New York City, accusing her for illegal file sharing.

Brianna LaHara says she thought that downloading music was fun and legal since her mom had paid $29.99 subscription fee to Kazaa's premium service three months earlier.



"My daughter was on the verge of tears when she found out about this," her mother, Sylvia Torres, said.

RIAA's recent rumoured offer for amnesty doesn't apply to people who have been already sued. In related "news", userfriendly.org has an excellent draft model of the RIAA's amnesty form..

Source: FoxNews.com

Written by: Petteri Pyyny @ 9 Sep 2003 14:15

• Previous article

• Colleges educate about P2P

• Next article

• Disney begins trials with disposable DVDs

• 37 comments

• nboy222

  how gay... riaa are fags..
  

  uggh

  9.9.2003 16:53 #1

• T2K

  riaa hope you are proud of your selfs
  

  T2K

  9.9.2003 18:51 #2

• Shegax

  n
  

  Shega
  (adrenaline Is the closest Total freedom)

  9.9.2003 22:23 #3

• Shegax

  RIAA ... this will backfire on you, they say it doesn't matter if going after 12 year old is "popular" but it needs to be done. Hell no man. The RIAA MUST GO DOWN
  

  Shega
  (adrenaline Is the closest Total freedom)

  9.9.2003 22:25 #4

• ArvoPahvi

  
  12 years old child sued by those criminals! Sick music industry!!

  9.9.2003 22:33 #5

• rocky999

  BOYCOTT BOYCOTT BOYCOTT
  Pass the word. Do not buy another CD from any music store til at least next year (this will screw them over the Christmas rush). See how quickly this this goes away then.

  10.9.2003 03:52 #6

• OblivionX

  Sad, SAD people sueing a 12 year old girl! Very sad peole!
  

  X

  10.9.2003 04:01 #7

• Yaguchi

  This is sad

  10.9.2003 04:20 #8

• wonderboy

  You know what I just started Buying CD's again. Now I'm no longer going to do that. I'm not going to buy that crap anymore insted I will try to go see the bands I like in concert. I also heard that some companys were going to lower prices on cd's? but now we should boycott this is getting out of hand they are also suing an 87 year old man who's grandchildren downloaded music on his Account. Sad Indeed.

  10.9.2003 05:07 #9

• mac71

  How low will they go??????
  
  Looks like pretty damn low to me!

  10.9.2003 05:59 #10

• A_Klingon

  How low will they go?
  
  (Nah.....) I was gonna say something, but I was once reminded that this was a family board.

  10.9.2003 06:03 #11

• Oriphus

  It is a very interesting tactic by them. Sue your consumer - that will encourage sales lol
  

  For DVD Back up info: http://www.chrismccann.co.uk
  http://www.dvd-backup.tk
  For User Guides/Downloads: http://www.chrismccann.co.uk/user_guides.htm
  

  10.9.2003 07:33 #12

• tinfoil

  http://music.tinfoil.net/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=768
  Quote: The RIAA, perhaps wanting to make bad publicity go away, has settled with Brianna LaHara. As reported earlier, Brianna was one of the first named in the RIAA's 261 lawsuits all over the USA.
  
  Brianna and her mother will be out of pocket for $2,000, a small sum considering she could have been on the hook for hundreds of millions. Who said the RIAA doesn't have a heart?
  
  Brianna had been under considerable emotional stress, what with being sued by an association with billions of dollars at it's beck and call.
  
  Did the RIAA extend their amnesty program to Brianna? One only wonders.
  
  This case is only the first of many misplaced lawsuits. It is a testament to the fact that the RIAA is NOT putting any time or effort into the lawsuits. They are not finding out who is on the other side of the IP address.

  Digital Media and Music News
  http://music.tinfoil.net

  10.9.2003 07:50 #13

• Ghostdog

  Quote:Brianna had been under considerable emotional stress, what with being sued by an association with billions of dollars at it's beck and call. She should have countersued the RIAA with causing her severe emotinal stress.

  10.9.2003 08:40 #14

• tinfoil

  If the family had been in a better financial situation, that may have been possible, but as I understand it, they are not.
  

  Digital Media and Music News
  http://music.tinfoil.net

  10.9.2003 09:02 #15

• Rodgers

  Here's something to ponder! Isn't the courts already crowded with cases that they can't hear, because of the tremendous backlog? How does the RIAA jump in line in court ahead of everyone else and sue 12 year olds? Is the RIAA in bed with the judges? I will permanently boycott the RIAA. The courts are already in trouble with their attempts to be judge and jury in death sentences, to the extent that multitudes have been released from prison. It is quite possible that the RIAA is in violation of the Sherman Anti-Trust laws and perhaps this should be looked into. Their monopoly of music is not in the public's interest. Some smart young lawyer should take them over the coals. Here's hoping the public wins this one.
  
  Best to All!
  Rodgers

  10.9.2003 09:37 #16

• GrayArea

  The only real power the public has is their pocketbooks.
  Others have said it.
  I agree.
  STOP BUYING COMPACT DISCS.
  This is THE ONLY message that the RIAA will hear.
  Period.
  

  We mustn't lower ourselves to the level of those we loathe, lest we become loathsome ourselves.
  

  10.9.2003 11:13 #17

• zx2er

  Sueing a 12 year old... isn't she protected by being a minor? It's stupid things like this that make me not like corporate music...amongst other things of course, but, this IS an open discussion forum.

  10.9.2003 12:32 #18

• clarence

  why not stand by our guns and boycott the riaa and the music industry.not just by not buying cds but boycott anything having to do with music industry or riaa,such as endorsements,the grammys,vh1,mtv,the gap(hey madonna,thats what the f*** i think i'm doing),concerts etc etc etc.it would cost them a lot more than losing cd sales

  10.9.2003 12:42 #19

• clarence

  head on out to your public library and borrow

  10.9.2003 12:43 #20

• clarence

  head on out to your public library and borrow cds and tapes.you can copy all you want.

  10.9.2003 12:46 #21

• tinfoil

  clarence, this only contributes to the piracy numbers.
  
  Boycott all you want, but don't obtain the music you are boycotting illegaly as that would only lend legitimacy to the RIAA's battle cry.
  
  Rather, only temporarily boycott. If it's a new release, wait a few weeks until you buy it. Don't contribute in making it an instant success.
  

  Digital Media and Music News
  http://music.tinfoil.net

  10.9.2003 17:32 #22

• JohnClegg

  nboy222's comment would indicate that he is as stupid an intolerant as the RIAA.

  10.9.2003 18:32 #23

• shutter93

  Ok, just wondering... when are the music artists going to step in and put a stop to this. The RIAA also represents them as a whole and with the tactics they are using they are creating a very bad image of the music industry. I know I will NEVER purchase another CD/DVD audio. I used to download the songs and then go and buy the cd's of the songs i liked, now...f**k the RIAA and the music industry. Congratulations you just lost thousands of dollars a year that came from my pocket
  Want me to buy cd's again RIAA? Suck my d**k.

  10.9.2003 22:05 #24

• A_Klingon

  WoW! Only $2000 two thousand dollars, eh? What a lucky break!
  
  I bet that will teach that miserable, theiving little 12-year-old a lesson, eh?
  
  The RIAA should get down on it's knees and beg forgiveness from this little lady, and give her a check for $10,000 for managing to surpass the level of utter stupidity usually associated with normal human beings.
  
  Damn !!!!!!!

  11.9.2003 01:11 #25

• Ghostdog

  Quote:concerts etc I think that by going to concerts you support the artists, not the RIAA. Can anyone back this up?

  11.9.2003 04:36 #26

• shutter93

  You know I am really intereseted in knowing the answer to that question. I will try and look into it and if anyone else finds out post, it to one of the forums. I will gladly support the individual artists just as long as the RIAA doesn't have a hand in it.

  11.9.2003 06:20 #27

• Praetor

  One wonders why nobody has bothered to interview the artists and such? It would be interesting (and potentially a PR disaster hehe) to hear their opinions on the RIAA's actions. Anyone with connections? ;P
  

  ASUS A7V8X-X, AMD2500+
  Samsung 1024MB, PC2700
  360GB [3x120GB, 7200, 8MB]
  MSI Starforce, GeForce4 Ti4400 128MB
  
  AFTERDAWN IRC: irc.emule-project.net, #ad_buddies
  COME SAY HI!

  11.9.2003 07:51 #28

• Ghostdog

  I would like to know how many artists are fully aware of the RIAA´s actions. The media is just beggining to inform the world.
  
  Memebers of the RIAA (all the artists in america?) probably get some sort of a newsletter from the RIAA. At least the Finnish equivalent Teosto sends out such a papper. I wonder what kind of view such a newsletter gives on the situation?

  11.9.2003 09:36 #29

• Karim1988

  FUCK THE RIAA. WHY THE FUCK DID THEY EVEN MAKE CDS TO COPY TO UR COMPUTER. ITS THEIR FUCKING FAULT! NOW ALL THE MUSIC SOFTWARE IS ADDING THE RIP FEATURE. FUCK YOU RIAA... SHAME ON YOU...NOT THE 12 YEAR OLD OR ANYBODY ELSE.

  4.12.2004 09:43 #30

• Abraxa

  RIAA suing ANYONE for simply sharing thier music is messed up whether they do it to a 12 year old or a 30 year old.. but you don't have to support the RIAA and it's artists w/ your music purchases.
  
  It's incorrect to assume that the RIAA is in control of an speaks for ALL the music out there... one has to pay into RIAA membership to become "protected" by them... most of the artists that are bought or sold into this organization are major label types of acts and "big money" artists.
  
  There still is a huge trove of independant music out there that has NOTHING to do with the RIAA though... so that's personally how I boycott the RIAA... now even more than ever... I just WON'T buy major label/RIAA affiliated artists. ALL my music money goes into the coffers of independant labels these days. Lucky for me there's also a record store in this town that orders from nothing but independant labels and distributors.
  
  Besides... most of the music that RIAA members and major labels produce is suck assed glossy plastic crap anyways!!

  8.1.2005 04:13 #31

• Killer360

  Fuck the RIAA.

  27.10.2007 20:08 #32

• 7thsinger

  Very smart move RIAA. Yeah, sue someone who's not even legally responsible for themselves. Ooooh, makes me real effin' scared. In fact i'm sooo shook up by the fact that they're trying to nail a preteen to the wall that i'm DONE downloading music.
  
  Yeah right. Grow up RIAA you retarded (the act of being a TARD for a second time) group of bullies.
  

  And Shepards we shall be...

  28.10.2007 11:33 #33

• WierdName

  I think the last CD I bought was several years ago. This is just getting ridiculous.

  28.10.2007 17:31 #34

• pryme_H

  This is absurd! These guys are really desperate!
  

  
  
  We lie! We cheat! We steal!
  

  29.10.2007 09:19 #35

• 7thsinger

  Originally posted by pryme_H: This is absurd! These guys are really desperate!No, not desperate. They're "showing how serious a matter this really is."
  
  Note the sarcasm. Absurd is right.
  

  And Shepards we shall be...

  29.10.2007 09:40 #36

• pryme_H

  All these recent rash of lawsuits will discourage consumers from buying music, and will serve as a driving force for everyone to get smarter to avoid being summoned to court.
  

  We lie! We cheat! We steal!
  

  29.10.2007 19:38 #37