No… really it doesn’t. I don’t advocate stealing mp3s and I think some punishment is due, but honestly?

This country is so boned… I am not even joking. The actual “loss” suffered by the label? 24 songs at $0.99 each is $23.76. And the awarded $80k per song is justified how? This goes FAR beyond punishing. Why don’t you just pull out a gun and shoot her? If you wanted to punish her, I would be okay with a fine up to ten times the damages here (which in most other cases would be a ludicrously high amount by the way) giving the RIAA $240. Even 100x would be fine with me at just under $2400.

Let’s make a generalized comparison here. Lets say we have a guy who steals a car. Let’s assume that he isn’t educated beyond HS, if even that far. Realistically he could make $15-25k a year working at or above minimum wage. Now this car lets put a value of $30k on it (even though some the most stolen cars are under $15k in value!). The punishment for Grand Theft Auto is between 16 months and 3 years (assuming he didn’t kill anybody or anything else like that). Lets call it 1.5 to 3 years. This person is “paying” through lost wages at an honest job $22,500 to $45000 for “stealing” something valued at $30k. Even if the car is returned undamaged, call the damages $30k. It is possible he isn’t even paying 1x the damages. Even though he gets meals and a free room some would argue that jail time is more than just the money you’d lose working. I agree. Lets put his jail term at a “value” to him around $50k per year. So he pays $150k for stealing a $30k car, 5 times the amount of damages.

By the thought process displayed by this judge and jury this guy should either pay or serve jail time equivalent to $4,000,000,000 (4 billion) or 80,000 years.

Does the punishment fit the crime (scaled to match)? I really don’t think so….