Record companies sue 754 more computer users for swapping music
LOS ANGELES (AP) – Recording companies filed copyright infringement lawsuits against 754 computer users Thursday, the latest round of legal action in the industry’s effort to squelch unauthorized swapping of music online.
Among the named defendants were 20 computer users suspected of swapping songs over university networks, according to the Recording Industry Association of America, a trade group for the largest music companies. Among the college and universities attended by students named in the lawsuits were University of Pennsylvania, Columbia University in New York, Old Dominion University and State University of West Georgia.
The colleges and universities were not named as defendants.
As in previous cases, the new lawsuits were filed against “John Doe” defendants – identified only by their numeric Internet protocol addresses. Music company lawyers must obtain the identity of defendants by issuing subpoenas to Internet access providers.
In all, recording companies have sued 7,704 computer users since September 2003. To date, 1,475 defendants have settled their cases out of court, the RIAA said.
Settlements in previous cases have averaged $3,000 US each.
Categories