UNBELIEVABLE!!!!

WIRED reports that the Recording Industry Assholes of America are at it yet once again.

This time it is a Native American single mother of two from Minnesota that is the target...

Most of the jury apparently doesn't have a firm grasp of the technology:

"Some of the 12 panelists told the judge during jury selection that they lacked basic computer knowledge. Some said they had never been on the internet or don't use it now. None admitted to using a file-sharing network. Five said they had a digital music player and two said they copied a compact disc."<---(thieves!)

So, on the first day of the trial, a Sony BMG Executive helped clear things up by informing the jury that RIPPING A SINGLE SONG AMOUNTS TO THEFT. (She probably would turn in her ex-boyfriend for making her a sappy mix tape too!)

Fortunately though, they seem to be having a heart and are going easy on the defendant:

"The industry in this case is only suing over 25 songs, with damages up to $150,000 per violation, because it doesn't want to exact too big of financial penalties by going for all 1,700, testified Jennifer Pariser, Sony BMG's anti-piracy chief. "The damages would be substantial," she said. "We have no intent in pursing cases like that."

Isn't that nice? :-)

Makes you want to run out and buy records doesn't it?

p.s. on a side note: remember to make sure you don't sing "happy birthday" at your kid's party - public performance of it is copyright infringement.