BPI Sues Another Unsuspecting Parent

TheIndependent:  Similar to other recent suits, a mother whose teenage daughter was caught illegally downloading thousands of music files to her computer is being sued by lawyers acting for the music industry body, the British Phonographic Industry. In a familiar defense, she claims that she had no idea her 14 year old daughter had been downloading music and recently received a letter demanding that she pay a £2,500 settlement fee because she is the holder of the internet account... The harsh reality is that if she doesn't pay up quick (within two weeks), the amount almost doubles and she will face court proceedings.  Sounds kind of harsh doesn't it? Perhaps the job description in parenting books should be amended to include computer networking and website traffic analysis...

"Almost all of those issued with a letter have been paid without challenge, Matt Phillips, a BPI spokesman, said adding he "strongly suspects" as many as a third of those who have settled so far have been parents paying on behalf of children."