Canadian Recording Industry Assoc facing $60M+ infringement lawsuit

[thewayne]

Basically they've been stealing music without paying the artists. Sounds familiar, doesn't it? The issue is something called the Pending List, where record companies can issue a recording, for something like 'greatest dance hits 2009', put the song on the list for the alleged purpose of paying the artist. The problem is, they never pay the artists.

From the article:

The class action seeks the option of statutory damages for each infringement. At $20,000 per infringement, potential liability exceeds $6 billion.

These numbers may sound outrageous, yet they are based on the same rules that led the recording industry to claim a single file sharer is liable for millions in damages.

After years of claiming Canadian consumers disrespect copyright, the irony of having the recording industry face a massive lawsuit will not be lost on anyone, least of all the artists still waiting to be paid. Indeed, they are also seeking punitive damages, arguing "the conduct of the defendant record companies is aggravated by their strict and unremitting approach to the enforcement of their copyright interests against consumers."

http://www.thestar.com/business/article/735096--geist-record-industry-faces-liability-over-infringement

http://yro.slashdot.org/story/09/12/07/1917245/CRIA-Faces-60-Billion-Lawsuit?art_pos=20

Comments

[silveradept]

Ah, payback! Somewhere we knew this had to happen. Glad to see that rights holders have found a way to give the cabals a taste of their own draconian medicine and punishments. Not that it will make a whit of difference in how they treat their own targets.

[donkey-hokey.livejournal.com]

Hmmm.. they may pay the fine, but when will the cheated artists actually see the $$$$?

[thewayne.livejournal.com]

Doubtful. Just like the RIAA settlements, no one knows if the artists are actually seeing a penny.