Ryan Adams Fans Plead Guilty To Piracy Charges

[Bonochick]

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/15352879.htm

2 men plead guilty to music piracy charges

Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Two men have pleaded guilty to violating copyright laws by posting an album by rock musician Ryan Adams on a Web site before its public release, federal officials said Thursday. One man was from Florida.

Robert Thomas of Milwaukee and Jared Bowser of Jacksonville, Fla., obtained and made available for copying portions of "Jacksonville City Nights" by Adams and his band, The Cardinals.

It was made available for copying by the public in August 2005 - about a month before the record's commercial release on Nashville-based Lost Highway Records, according to a federal indictment.

At the plea hearing, Bowser admitted obtaining a copy that was provided to a music reviewer in advance of public release.

Thomas acknowledged receiving the music from Bowser and posting links to digital copies of songs on a public Web site he administered.

"Recording artists and the labels they record for have an enforceable right to control what happens to the works they have expended time, effort and money in creating," said U.S. Attorney Jim Vines. "Misappropriation and unauthorized distribution of those works, even if no money changes hands, is no different than the theft of a tangible object, like a car."

Thomas and Bowser face a maximum penalty of one year in prison and up to a $100,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 8.

 

[Bonochick]

U.S. Department of Justice
Office of the United States Attorney
Middle District of Tennesse

Jim Vines
United States Attorney

Trey Hester
Assistant U.S. Attorney

TWO MEN PLEAD GUILTY TO MUSIC PIRACY CHARGES

Nashville, TN - August 24, 2006 - Jim Vines, U.S. Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee, announced that Robert Thomas of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Jared Chase Bowser of Jacksonville, Florida have entered guilty pleas before U.S. District Judge Aleta Trauger to a criminal violation of federal copyright laws pertaining to recorded music. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 1 year of imprisonment and a fine of up to $100,000. Sentencing is scheduled for December 8, 2006.

The charges stem from a federal investigation launched in response to a complaint last year from Lost Highway Records and Universal Music Group, regarding several songs from an album of music on which they held the copyright, that had been made available to the public on an Internet web site. At the time, the album “Jacksonville City Nights” by Ryan Adams & the Cardinals, had not yet been released to the public, but was nonetheless available via the website, and could be downloaded and copied for free by anyone with Internet access.

At the guilty plea, Bowser admitted that he had obtained a copy of the album that had been provided to a music reviewer in advance of public release. Bowser sent digital copies of the album to Thomas, via the Internet. Thomas likewise admitted that after receiving the music from Bowser, he posted internet links to electronically stored copies of songs from the album on an Internet website that he administered, which was available to the public. The FBI investigation confirmed that the website was accessed by a person in Nashville who downloaded two of the songs. Both men admitted that they hoped those who obtained the songs they had made available would reciprocate by providing them with other free copyrighted music.

“Recorded music is protected from misappropriation and unauthorized use under federal law” said United States Attorney Jim Vines. “Recording artists and the labels they record for have an enforceable right to control what happens to the works they have expended time, effort and money in creating. Misappropriation and unauthorized distribution of those works, even if no money changes hands, is no different than the theft of a tangible object, like a car, which the true owner has a right to possess and control. People who knowingly engage in criminal copyright violations with regard to music, film or other federally protected intellectual property need to know that they are subject to federal prosecution. Federal law enforcement agencies in the Middle District of Tennessee are paying attention, and we will pursue these cases fairly, but aggressively. ”

The case was investigated by John McMurtrie, who is assigned to the cybercrime squad of the FBI office in Nashville. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trey Hester and Byron Jones, who are assigned to the Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property Section (CHIPS) of the United States Attorneys Office, which focuses on computer crimes and intellectual property offenses.

 

[u2popmofo]

What are your feelings on this, Bonochick? HG has told me about it a little.


It sucks to be those guys, but I personally don't feel all that sorry for them. I don't know all that much about it though. Honestly, I think these are the kind of people the RIAA should really being going after, the ones who leak things before it's out or close to being out.

 

[namkcuR]

Thomas and Bowser face a maximum penalty of one year in prison and up to a $100,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 8.

Give me a break! Up to a year in prison and a fine of up to a hundred thousand bucks?! There are people who commit FAR worse crimes who get away with less than that!

There is NO WAY that whatever these guys did cost anybody $100,000, and there is NO WAY they need to be in prison for ANY amount of time, let alone a full year. Prison is not for punishment, contrary to what people would like to believe, it's for keeping people who are a threat to society out of society, and these guys are of ABSOLUTELY NO threat to society.

The justice system should spend its time and money putting murderers, rapists, child molesters, and the like behind bars instead of enabling a greedy, monopolistic, imperical organization like the RIAA.

 

[martha]

I support some kind of punishment for these guys.

 

[Bonochick]

What are your feelings on this, Bonochick? HG has told me about it a little.

It's hard, as I don't want to be a hypocrite. If I received an advance copy of an album, would I leak it? No. Have I already downloaded songs after someone else has done that? Yes. I've only done that for releases that I bought once they came out anyway...but that still doesn't make what I did right.

What they did was wrong, but I find it hard to pass judgement. I'm not sure what sort of punishment should be given, as they did break the law. People are speculating that there could be a harsh punishment so as to set an example to others. Many think that is stupid because it won't stop piracy. Personally though, I've already been thinking twice about things ever since I first heard of this.

 

[KhanadaRhodes]

Give me a break! Up to a year in prison and a fine of up to a hundred thousand bucks?! There are people who commit FAR worse crimes who get away with less than that!

yeah, i agree. i think some kind of fine and/or community service would suffice. and when i say "some kind of fine," i definitely don't mean $100k. a couple thousand dollars and having them pick trash on the highway would be fine i think.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

The punishment doesn't fit the crime... However I support these go-getters b/c they help fans get access to songs before release alah ATYCLB and HTDAAB

 

[MrBrau1]

Lesson learned: Don't fuck with Bryan Adams.

 

[martha]

Lesson learned: Don't fuck with Bryan Adams.

:spank:

 

[sue4u2]

However I support these go-getters b/c they help fans get access to songs before release alah ATYCLB and HTDAAB

You wouldn't feel this way if the livelyhood of yourself, family art, was dependent on selling music/cd's and dvd's etc..

 

[BrownEyedBoy]

What???


Ryan Adams has fans???



.................

 

[thatsnotmypuppy]

That my friends - is the post of the year. Thank you for the biggest laugh I've had in months and also for helping me to get around to leaning my computer - now it has diet Coke spattered all over it after the Coke escaped via my nose due to such hearty mirthing.

 

[Flying FuManchu]

You wouldn't feel this way if the livelyhood of yourself, family art, was dependent on selling music/cd's and dvd's etc..

Probably not but ignorance is bliss... I'm doing my job though and buying those CDs!

 

[The OOTS]

Lesson learned: Don't fuck with Bryan Adams.

 

[HeartlandGirl]

Lesson learned: Don't fuck with Bryan Adams.

I've never heard that joke before.

 

[zonelistener]

 

[Bonochick]

Two sentenced in illegal use of songs


A complaint from a Nashville-based music group has led to the sentencing of two men to two months of house arrest for illegally distributing several Ryan Adams songs.

Jared Chase Bowser of Jacksonville, Fla., and Robert Thomas of Milwaukee were sentenced Friday after pleading guilty to misdemeanor charges in federal court here in August. The men faced a maximum of one year in prison, but District Judge Aleta Trauger imposed a probationary sentence with house arrest on account of the men's cooperation with federal authorities and the absence of prior criminal records. They will be on probation for two years.


The complaint originated from Nashville-based Lost Highway Group, part of Universal Music Group, after music from Ryan Adams & the Cardinals' album Jacksonville City Lights appeared online before the album went on sale. The men distributed copies of songs made from a promotional album sent to a music reviewer.

The U.S. attorney's office announced the development.