Music Industry Sues 83-Year-Old Dead Woman

Published on February 5th, 2005

Posted by John C Dvorak in Uncategorized

graves
Music Pirates

ABC News: Music Industry Sues 83-Year-Old Dead Woman — According to the report the law firm was made aware of the facts but filed the suit anyway. Talk about judgement proof.

CHARLESTON, W.Va. Feb 4, 2005 — Gertrude Walton was recently targeted by the recording industry in a lawsuit that accused her of illegally trading music over the Internet. But Walton died in December after a long illness, and according to her daughter, the 83-year-old hated computers.

More than a month after Walton was buried in Beckley, a group of record companies named her as the sole defendant in a federal lawsuit, claiming she made more than 700 pop, rock and rap songs available for free on the Internet under the screen name “smittenedkitten.”

8 users responded in " Music Industry Sues 83-Year-Old Dead Woman "

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# 1 gquaglia said, on February 5th, 2005 at 5:49 pm

This story and the one above about the cookie lawsuit show how out of control the legal system has become in this country.

# 2 RonD said, on February 5th, 2005 at 7:28 pm

These lawyers are like modern day alchemists – trying to turn “dead” into gold.

# 3 chuck said, on February 5th, 2005 at 9:35 pm

Yet another endearing story about our pals over at the RIAA. When are these morons going to wake up and realize that they can’t continue to harass their own customers in order to maintain a grip on their antiquated business model?

# 4 N said, on February 5th, 2005 at 10:13 pm

Wow, you’re really coming up with some good lawsuit links today.

The RIAA is just making friends all over the place. First suing kids, and youths with no way of paying and now suing dead (I’m assuming) great grandmothers. And no offence to technologically switched on 83 year olds, but I’ve never met one. I can’t even get my 55 year old mother to unzip and view an email attachment.

Oh, and how many 83 year olds do you know kickin’ back to a little Eminem and 50 Cent or grinding to Brittaney Spears. There should be some sort of court of logic that these RIAA guys can be taken to task to. Of course I suspect they wouldn’t be found competent to stand trial.

# 5 K B said, on February 5th, 2005 at 11:31 pm

“A Recording Industry Association of America spokesman said Thursday that Walton was likely not the smittenedkitten it is searching for.”

I just love the RIAA. Assholes.

# 6 Ed Campbell said, on February 6th, 2005 at 3:33 am

Like my t-shirt says, “F the RIAA”.

# 7 K B said, on February 6th, 2005 at 6:41 pm

“Of course I suspect they wouldn�t be found competent to stand trial.” -N

LOL

“Like my t-shirt says, ‘F the RIAA’.” – Ed Campbell

Where might one purchase one of these? Or did you just make your own?

# 8 david said, on February 7th, 2005 at 12:48 pm

She’s still legally alive if there was no death cerificate filed. That is the secret to immortality: die without anyone knowing.

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