Online Grocer Raises Millions >>
<< Spammers Fined $250,000
 tdicon 


Overhype

by Mike Masnick

Wed, Sep 10th 2003 10:48am





Grokster Head Offers To Pay 12-Year-Old's RIAA Bill

from the worth-the-publicity dept

The back-and-forth PR battle over the RIAA's lawsuits continue. Now, Grokster's CEO, Wayne Rosso, sensing the perfect PR opportunity has offered to pay the $2,000 bill agreed to by 12-year-old Brianna LaHara yesterday for daring to download a nursery rhyme and some other songs. Rosso claims that he (like us all) is "disgusted" by the lawsuits and forcing this 12-year-old to pay two grand. Of course, I'd say he also senses the good publicity that can come out of paying the bill for her. The problem, though, is that no one is going to come along and offer to pay the bills of the next 12-year-old who gets sued.

6 Comments | Leave a Comment..


If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...
 

Reader Comments (rss)

(Flattened / Threaded)

  1.  

    No Subject Given

    identicon
    AMetamorphosis, Sep 10th, 2003 @ 11:07am

    but the publicity generated by this is worth far more than the 2 grand.

    I applaud this man for using the awful RIAA to his benefit by paying the extortion fee imposed on a 12 year old.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  2.  

    Nice gesture

    identicon
    Joe Schmoe, Sep 10th, 2003 @ 1:56pm

    It's a very nice gesture, and good free publicity for himself, but sadly it does not clear the criminal record this person now has as a result of such rediculousness... (sp?)

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  3.  

    Re: Nice gesture

    identicon
    Munich, Sep 10th, 2003 @ 4:59pm

    These are civil lawsuits for damages and not criminal convictions (there will be no criminal record).

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  4.  

    Re: Nice gesture

    identicon
    Anonymous Coward, Sep 10th, 2003 @ 9:26pm

    No, civil actions are recorded on your credit history... now the kid is definely fscked for life.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  5.  

    Re: Nice gesture

    identicon
    AMetamorphosis, Sep 11th, 2003 @ 6:35am

    That is the result of a society that records everything ... regardless of the circumstances. Without human reasoning ( that computers do not have ) machines cannot and will not be able to ascertain the subtle differences between the two.
    Do we want to be more like the machines or have the machines more like us ? It is a case of moderation and allowing human intervention to over rule mistaken assertions regarding human beings. Technology is fantastic ... just not foolproof ... much like the humans who invented it.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]

  6.  

    Re: Nice gesture

    identicon
    LittleW0lf, Sep 11th, 2003 @ 7:02pm

    No, civil actions are recorded on your credit history... now the kid is definely fscked for life.

    Or, at least according to the Fair Credit Reporting Act of 1997, 10 years. They are required by law to remove any negative information after 10 years.

    Of course, that requires that the credit reporting companies follow the law, which they seldom do.

    [ reply to this | link to this | view in thread ]


Add Your Comment

Have a Techdirt Account? Sign in now. Want one? Register here
Get Techdirt’s Daily Email
Save me a cookie
  • Note: A CRLF will be replaced by a break tag (<br>), all other allowable HTML will remain intact
  • Allowed HTML Tags: <b> <i> <a> <em> <br> <strong> <blockquote> <hr> <tt>


Online Grocer Raises Millions >>
<< Spammers Fined $250,000
 tdicon 

A word from our Sponsors...
Follow Techdirt
Flattr rss rss

Powered by Postrank

From the Techdirt Archive...
A word from our Sponsors...

Close

Email This