A 47-year-old grandmother, a 66 year old dialysis patient on social security, a self-employed engraver. Three among hundreds of RIAA lawsuit defndants in and around the community of Louisville, Kentucky.

Amy Trang of the Courier-Journal has a deeply researched story about the real faces behind the RIAA lawusits. Pictured right is one of the people profiled in the piece, Iola Scruse. The 66 year old grandmother, living on Social Security and undergoing dialysis, has been asked to pay $6000 to settle her lawsuit with the RIAA, over an aleged 872 songs downoaded by her grandchildren.

Applause to the Courier-Journal for showing a few of the real faces of those sued by the RIAA. This is another in a string of increasingly hostile press the RIAA has faced over the 20,000+ lawsuits filed against ISP account holders.

Stories like these are difficult to read. It can be even all the moremore disheartening to think, until something is done about the extortionists in the RIAA's legal department, the proceeds scraped together by the individuals misfortunate enough to become collateral damage in the RIAA's pathological anti-piracy paranoia game only feed the beast, enabling the RIAA to indiscriminately sue others just like them.

[The Louisville Courier-Journal via Digg]