DULUTH, MN – Record labels suing a Minnesota woman for song sharing have been awarded $1.9 million in damages.

That amounts to $80,000 a piece for the 24 songs Jammie Thomas-Rasset shared on a file-sharing network.

Some commentators have suggested the exorbitant verdict could lead to reconsideration of the damages of up to $150,000 for each violation of copyright law.

An attorney for Recording Industry vs. The People argues that the damages claimed for copyright infringement are unconstitutionally high.

Thomas-Rasset, for instance, has been ordered to pay 228,571 times the retail value of the songs she shared.

This trial is the first in which the defendant was convicted of copyright infringement for file-swapping. Most previous cases have been settled for $5,000 or less.

Online: Recording Industry vs. the People: http://recordingindustryvspeople.blogspot.com

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