p2pnet - rss feed: RIAA suddenly drops student case
p2pnet.net news:- Warner Music, EMI, Vivendi Universal and Sony BMG bully boys the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) have hurriedly, and without explanation, backed out of a case they may have been building against the mother of a 17-year-old Texas high school student.
The RIAA had Nicholas Hightower’s mother, June, nicely in the frame as an illicit distributor of copyrighted online music. But now they’ve abandoned their effort.
They did so, however, ‘without prejudice,’ says Recording Industry vs The People, meaning they can start again if and when they feel like it.
Studying at an independent school in Houston, Texas, Nichoals was to take his TAKS (Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills) tests last week. But the RIAA gave him only 24 hours’ notice to turn up at its lawyers’ offices to make a statement.
Also See:
nicely in the frame - RIAA gives student 24 hours, April 19, 2007
Recording Industry vs The People - RIAA Drops Case in Which it Pursued High School Student on 24-hours’ notice, April 25, 2007
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April 26th, 2007 at 9:57 am
“The RIAA had Nicholas Hightower, his mother, June, and her sister, Rochelle, 58, nicely in the frame as illicit distributors of copyrighted online music. But now they’ve abandoned their case against Nicholas.”
if I understand it correctly they had named the case only against his mother as the account holder not against this teenager. He wasn’t named as defendant so far in any way.
So there was nothing abandoned against him. RIAA just prevented with this voluntarily dismissal that they would get a slap on their hands from yet another judge for their misconduct. (here: untimely notice for depositions of non parties)
We could only speculate if Miss Hightower’s lawyer were able to make a nondisclosure deal with them about payments to agree to this “oficially everybody pays own costs”-stipulation.
Technicly nothing prevents the RIAA to go after the 58 year old sister of the defendant or after this teenager now seperately Since they had’nt a case against Nicholas open they therefor have not abandoned a case against him.
But of course it could be me that missunderstood those english technical details.
If they will not open a case against the sister or the son now, I’m willing to speculate that RIAA did payed the Hightowers their lawyer costs. Everything else would have been a bad bargain for the Hightowers
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Alter_Fritz
April 26th, 2007 at 10:50 am
You’re correct, and I’ve changed it.
Thanks. And Cheers!