File Sharing suit settled

"Settling lawsuits intended to strike fear in the hearts of college students who regularly download music over the Internet without paying for it, four students have agreed to pay the recording industry's trade association $12,000 to $17,000 each over the course of the next three years. "

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/05/02/national/02STUD.html (by subscription)

So I haven't heard any talk of this today on ILM ... what gives?

The best quote in the story is:
"Andy Jordan, whose son Jesse will have to pay $12,000 to the recording association, said his son's Web site, which allowed students on campus to type in a search term and click on a link to copy the files residing on other students' computers, was much more like the popular Web search engine Google than Napster.

"The lawsuit was bogus," said Mr. Jordan, of Oceanside, N.Y., who is unemployed. "Jesse's worked very hard for three years, every summer, every weekend, to save up money for college. Now we're in a bind. How is he going to have enough to pay for next year?"

.. What about a benefit concert? All of the bands who don't mind their music being downloaded can perform. Everyone who thinks downloading is kosher can contribute...