Canda's biggest independent label, Nettwerk, announced yesterday that they are joining the fight
against the RIAA. They are intervening in a suit the RIAA has filed against a family for illegally downloading music
tracks. The privately-owned Nettwerk Music Group is intervening, it says, because the songs downloaded by the Gruebel
family include Avril Lavigne, a Nettwerk management client. Nettwerk will fund the Gruebel's defense. The current
actions of the RIAA are not in my artists' best interests," said Nettwerk chief executive Terry McBride in a
statement. "Litigation is not 'artist development'. Litigation is a deterrent to creativity and passion and it is
hurting the business I love." The RIAA has demanded the family pay a $9,000 penalty, reduced to $4,500 if they pay
up promptly. Nettwerk has vowed to foot the legal bill if it loses the case.Nettwerk Vs. RIAA
Canda's biggest independent label, Nettwerk, announced yesterday that they are joining the fight
against the RIAA. They are intervening in a suit the RIAA has filed against a family for illegally downloading music
tracks. The privately-owned Nettwerk Music Group is intervening, it says, because the songs downloaded by the Gruebel
family include Avril Lavigne, a Nettwerk management client. Nettwerk will fund the Gruebel's defense. The current
actions of the RIAA are not in my artists' best interests," said Nettwerk chief executive Terry McBride in a
statement. "Litigation is not 'artist development'. Litigation is a deterrent to creativity and passion and it is
hurting the business I love." The RIAA has demanded the family pay a $9,000 penalty, reduced to $4,500 if they pay
up promptly. Nettwerk has vowed to foot the legal bill if it loses the case.
1. So, just making sure I have this straight ... Nettwerk has promised that they will foot the bill for their crack legal team if, IF, they LOOSE the case! What happens if the RIAA wins? Does that mean that the family will be stuck paying the US $450-$600/hr+ honorariums the intellectual property attorneys working for the RIAA are likely to bill the family if the RIAA wins? That means that the family being sued by the RIAA maybe be better off paying the US $4,500 "bribe", not even close to the amount a days' work at the litigation team's law firm would run? Is THAT a "fair use" under the law?
Posted at 8:53PM on Jan 29th 2006 by Alejandro Guti?ez