Just when you thought the RIAA had grown up from making ridiculous claims... :roll:
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/archives/005135.phpIf a parent sees pop-up ads and viruses on her computer, she can be sued for copyright infringement by the RIAA.
At least that's what the RIAA is arguing in a recent court filing in the Capitol v. Foster case, in which a federal judge made the RIAA cough up attorney's fees to a mother, Debra Foster, who had been sued because her daughter was file sharing. The RIAA lawyers had dawdled in dismissing their complaint against Foster, even after her child admitted to being the file-sharer in the house (the RIAA went ahead and got a default judgment against the child).
This new filing marks the first time the RIAA has explained its claim that parents are liable for the infringements committed by their children (a theory that has never been accepted by any court, to the best of my knowledge). The argument is pretty remarkable, built on a house of cards including the notion that "everyone knows" pop-up ads and viruses signify piracy!
It seems being made to pay for the expense they put some poor woman through is frightening the RIAA and they want a second bite at the cherry to avoid payment, maybe santa claus will step up to to give evidence on their behalf too if asked nicely
