As far a music goes:

The RIAA are a bunch of bloated, greed-seeking dinosaurs throwing tantrums.  Their claims of losses are unsubstantiated, and they conveniently ignore studies that show P2P users actually buy more music than non users. 

When I was a kid, we frequently traded mix tapes and borrowed albums to copy off and listen to... it was, and still is, the best free advertising a musical outfit can get.  Now, since the whole bloody planet has gone lawsuit-happy, it's acceptable to litigate 12 year-old kids and colledge students just so that musicians can blame their public when they spew out mediocre material and cry about alleged 'lost revenues'.

Yes, stealing is wrong... but a little perspective on things would serve mankind far better; let kids listen to their favorite bands for free once in a while... and instead focus on the thousands of other issues that cause actual pain and suffering to those who can't help themselves.  Rape, murder, hunger, disease, war, environmental time-bombs, torture, random acts of violence, terrorism, child pornography... these are all concerns, but they hardly compare in importance to slapping punitive damages on little Johnny for having a half-dozen Britney Spears songs on his computer!

As for other media...

People will gravetate towards legitimacy when a product shows merit, despite the fact that popularity also increases unlawful distribution. 

Lack of sense is paying over-inflated prices jacked up by greed.... that's when I use my prerogative and leave it on the shelf.

More should do this (for non-essentials/luxuries, etc)... would send a clear message. "Enough is enough"

It's not your right to determine if they're allowed to live off one song.  That's the market's right, combined with the artist's willingness to live off that income. 

How hard they work is irrelevant also.  I'm not some free market libertarian either, but the criteria you are using flat out are wrong and won't work.

Really, I don't think anything has a problem with pirates being held accountable, but I have a problem with pirates being held excessively accountable, and for the benefit of corporations that aren't beneficial, and not societal benefit.

It's not the role of the courts to do corporate welfare in my eyes.

If you are American, you can't possibly complain with a straight face about this. I mean, the RIAA is just doing what your laws allow. If you disagree strongly with their behaviour then emigrate, stage a revolution, or go back to sleep while you're waiting for the next travesty.

PS I'm not American. For those who lack reading comprehension this is not an accusation of lack of patriotism. It's an accusation of apathy and failing to be involved in your own government. No wonder they screw you, and take my word for it that the worst is to come.

Wow, what a crazy rant.  Please don't be Muslim, I don't want to think of another one of us saying this crap...Can I imagine you a a french Canadian snooty person?  I know that's another bad stereotype, but it's one that I am personally not apart of.

So Abeaudoin is either lying in the above post, or lying in the profile which says you're from the United States... interesting.

Either way, way to discredit yourself along with your baseless threats of doom against America.

Play nice, and leave religions out of it, please.

Fact: you don't know what the word "fact" means.  Those are your opinions.  The fact is, she's being prosecuted for committing a crime.  Whether or not it's unjust, blown out of proportion, or what ever is your opinion.

Beg to differ. Fact! Disproportionate is unjust. There is no way anyone with even a modicum of common sense can justify the amount of money those corporate jackasses are trying to squeeze out of her. Fact! Greed rules here as has been said throughout this thread. Opinion? Sorry dude. Unjust fine is not opinion. It is a fact! My opinion would be that those idiots need to get their priorities in order. It is not a priority to ruin a persons life over 24 songs for crying out loud. These are songs not million dollar priceless objects. From the way some are making this sound you'd think the mother stole antique paintings or some such. C'mon now. A little bit of common sense. Yes it is a crime to steal. But would you like it if it was happening to you??  I doubt that very much. You'd be screaming bloody murder. Fine her for what the songs are worth. Is one song worth $62,500. You can buy a song for less than a buck! Buy an entire CD for less than twenty. Common sense as far as this is concerned has gone out the window. That! is my opinion.

The argument here has gone backwards and forwards without compromise or resolution and seems to have superceded the value of its worth.

While it seems greed and market gouging is lost on the proponents of antiquated copyright laws, the idea of theft and illegal gain is lost on the opponents.  What may seem like fair comment or opinion is now just repetitive and superfluous, rather than a contribution.  Time to move on, me thinks... it's has become no more than tit for tat quarrel and that produces nothing of value to anyone.

This isn't an argument it's a contradiction...

No it isn't.

Yes it is....

This would be true if the market was actually free and fair. But it is not. It is ruled by greed and corporations. Laws of many countries help them.

I would believe in market system if somehow greed could be exchanged by compassion in the equation.