Metal Label Sues Illegal Downloaders
Century Media Records is looking for compensation from 7500 fans
NME reports that the German label has filed charges in New Jersey against the thousands of fans who illegally downloaded the latest albums by Iced Earth and Lacuna Coil.
According to reports 4,327 people who illegally downloaded Iced Earth's album 'Dystopia' and 3,136 users who stole Lacuna Coil's 'Dark Adrenaline' will be taken to court over the charges and they each face fines of up to $2900.
Jay McDaniel, who represents Century and two other media firms, told NorthJersey.com: "What many people don't understand is that it's the distribution that's the evil influence. It does the real damage and harm, not just to the client but to the culture industry, and to creative endeavours in general. Illegal downloading has reached epidemic proportions, as thousands of works are pirated on a daily basis through bit torrents that rob copyright holders of the value of their creative work."
He continued: "This kills the little producer and it has an extremely destructive effect on the entertainment industry. Record sales don't drive the music business any more – touring does. So illegal sharing of music on the Internet has killed an entire industry."