Record Companies, RIAA Prevail In Music Downloading Trial

National News

The National Law Journal reports that a jury in a high-profile federal copyright infringement trial on Friday ordered a Boston University graduate student to pay $675,000 to several record companies for illegally downloading and distributing 30 of their songs.

Joel Tenenbaum appeared stoic as the jury announced that each of the 30 counts of willful infringement would cost him $22,500. The tab -- while steep -- is far less than the $4.5 million that the companies could have received had the jury imposed the maximum per-song damages allowed under law. Copyright law allows for damages of $750 to $30,000 for each copyright infringement and up to $150,000 for each willful infringement.

Tenenbaum said he was happy the verdict wasn't in the millions and "not displeased with the jury given how the trial went."

In a statement for the plaintiffs' side, the RIAA said the organization "appreciates that Mr. Tenenbaum finally acknowledged that artists and music companies deserve to be paid for their work. ...We only wish he had done so sooner rather than lie about his illegal behavior."

Related listings

  • Sahara Sued By EEOC For National Origin Harassment And Retaliation

    Sahara Sued By EEOC For National Origin Harassment And Retaliation

    National News 08/02/2009

    According to the EEOC website, the Sahara Hotel and Casino on the Las Vegas Strip violated federal law by creating a hostile work environment for an Egyptian kitchen employee through a daily barrage of derogatory comments due to his national origin a...

  • Survey: Workplace Sexual Harassment Complaints Rise

    Survey: Workplace Sexual Harassment Complaints Rise

    National News 08/02/2009

    According to The Jerusalem Post, Israeli help centers are receiving more calls regarding sexual harassment in the workplace, according to a recent survey. The survey, which was conducted by Millward Brown, examined the level of exposure and awareness...

  • When Jaundice Leads To Brain Injury

    When Jaundice Leads To Brain Injury

    National News 08/02/2009

    According to ABC News, Susan Haas says that when her daughter, Lexi, was born she was a normal, healthy baby girl. So when Lexi, at 3 days old, developed jaundice -- a common liver condition that is estimated to affect six out of every 10 babies -- t...

Does a car or truck accident count as a work injury?

If an employee is injured in a car crash while on the job, they are eligible to receive workers’ compensation benefits. “On the job” injuries are not limited to accidents and injuries that happen inside the workplace, they may also include injuries suffered away from an employee’s place of work while performing a job-related task, such as making a delivery or traveling to a client meeting.

Regular commutes to and from work don’t usually count. If you get into an accident on your way in on a regular workday, it’s probably not considered a work injury for the purposes of workers’ compensation.

If you drive around as part of your job, an injury on the road or loading/unloading accident is likely a work injury. If you don’t typically drive around for work but are required to drive for the benefit of your employer, that would be a work injury in many cases. If you are out of town for work, pretty much any driving would count as work related. For traveling employees, any accidents or injuries that happen on a work trip, even while not technically working, can be considered a work injury. The reason is because you wouldn’t be in that town in the first place, had you not been on a work trip.

Workers’ compensation claims for truck drivers, traveling employees and work-related injuries that occur away from the job site can be challenging and complex. At Krol, Bongiorno & Given, we understand that many families depend on the income of an injured worker, and we are proud of our record protecting the injured and disabled. We have handled well over 30,000 claims for injured workers throughout the state of Illinois.

Business News