By MEGAN TWOHEY, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
WTMJ-TV and JSOnline.com
Dave Bink was shocked when he learned last month that he was being sued by the recording industry for the downloading of hundreds of songs, including "All You Wanted" by Michelle Branch, "Eat You Alive" by Limp Bizkit and "U Don't Have to Call" by Usher.
Bink, 48, a motorcycle salesman from Racine, listens to nothing but Led Zeppelin and The Doors and can barely turn on the computer.
"I don't have anything with Usher or anything like that," Bink said. "And I've never downloaded music in my life. I thought it was a joke."
It's not.
Two years ago, Bink's teenage daughter downloaded more than 600 songs on their home computer through Kazaa, Internet software that allows users to swap music for free.
Since 2003, the recording industry has been searching the Internet for people who use Kazaa and similar software to share and download copyrighted songs. It has sued 11,000 users for copyright infringement, including 104 in Wisconsin.
Because the home computer was registered in his name, Bink is among the targets. He faces this choice: Pay $3,750 to settle or go to court, where he may be ordered to pay at least $750 per song.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7866664/
WTMJ-TV and JSOnline.com
Dave Bink was shocked when he learned last month that he was being sued by the recording industry for the downloading of hundreds of songs, including "All You Wanted" by Michelle Branch, "Eat You Alive" by Limp Bizkit and "U Don't Have to Call" by Usher.
Bink, 48, a motorcycle salesman from Racine, listens to nothing but Led Zeppelin and The Doors and can barely turn on the computer.
"I don't have anything with Usher or anything like that," Bink said. "And I've never downloaded music in my life. I thought it was a joke."
It's not.
Two years ago, Bink's teenage daughter downloaded more than 600 songs on their home computer through Kazaa, Internet software that allows users to swap music for free.
Since 2003, the recording industry has been searching the Internet for people who use Kazaa and similar software to share and download copyrighted songs. It has sued 11,000 users for copyright infringement, including 104 in Wisconsin.
Because the home computer was registered in his name, Bink is among the targets. He faces this choice: Pay $3,750 to settle or go to court, where he may be ordered to pay at least $750 per song.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7866664/