Court Rejects Appeal For Music Sharing By 16 Year Old – Owes $27,750
The U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear a case brought against a Texas teen for illegally acquiring 37 songs through a file-sharing service. Whitney Harper was found guilty of copyright infringement and ordered to pay $27,750 for having the songs. Harper was between 14 and 16 when she began downloading and sharing popular music with her friends from her San Antonio home. The lower court ruled Harper was an innocent infringer who should have to pay far less for each infringement. However, that ruling was overturned by a federal appeals court. Her argument was that since she was only 16 that the money she owes music companies should be reduced because as a 16-year-old she didn’t know that what she did amounted to copyright infringement. What side are you on?
The justices rejected Harper’s appeal Monday over a dissent from Justice Samuel Alito. The issue in the case is whether people who illegally swap music online can try to show that they did so innocently. Harper wanted the money owed for each song cut to $200 from $750.
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