Ojibwe mother first to go to trial for music sharing


A Native woman from Minnesota is the first person to go to trial for allegedly sharing copyrighted music on the Internet.

Jammie Thomas, 30, works for the Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe Indians. Record companies accuse the single mother of two of sharing over 1,700 songs online.

"I did not download or upload any music, period," Thomas told The Minneapolis Star Tribune outside the federal courthouse in Duluth.

Many people who have been sued by the recording industry have settled their cases with financial payments. The companies say Thomas, who goes by the name "Tereastarr" [Myspace | Blog], could owe as much as $4 million in fines for sharing copyrighted music.

Get the Story:
Brainerd mom takes on music industry (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 10/3)
pwlat
Music sharing trial focuses on electronic trail of bread crumbs (AP 10/3)
First US trial over illegal music downloads opens (AP 10/3)
Mother takes on US music industry in first piracy trial (The Times 10/3)
RIAA Rips Defendant in Nation's First Filesharing Jury Trial (Wired 10/2)