While Rome burns, Obama Administration spends time and money defending RIAA

The Obama Administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) has intervened on behalf of the RIAA in the file sharing case Sony BMG Music Entertainment v. Tenenbaum.

In a 39-page brief, the DOJ argues that a United States Supreme Court decision from 1919 relating to damages in a case involving overpriced railway tickets, and a 2007 Circuit Court decision which held that the 1919 decision, should be used in determining damages in the case.

The damages in the 1919 case were x116, while the RIAA is seeking 2,100 to 425,000 times the actual damages for an MP3 file.

Recording Industry vs The People has more details here. You’ve got to ask the question: while the economy burns due to criminal or near criminal acts by the finance industry, the DOJ is spending time and money in defense of the RIAA. Change you can believe in if you’re a filthy rich record industry executive. If you’re a 17 year old student accused of file sharing on the other hand….