Internet Lawyer: $675,000 Copyright Infringement Judgment

A jury in Boston awarded $675,000 to the Recording Industry Association of America for copyright infringement after a Harvard Law School professor representing the defendant, a Boston University graduate student (Joel Tenenbaum), called upon the jury to "send a message" to the music industry by awarding minimal damages. As Internet lawyers, We are not suprised by the jury's response to this request...they actually sent 675,000 messages out! It can be tough coming down from the Ivory Towers of an out of touch liberal institution intent upon defending the scofflaws of the web. So, to the professor turned Internet lawyer for the day, and co-founder of the Berkman Center, a far left wing, liberal, free speech expansionist Harvard institution, welcome to the real world, Charles Neeson. Thank goodness for a jury of our peers. And Mr. Neeson, there is a big difference between teaching law at Harvard and actually trying cases to a jury of everyday people. We suspect you will return to Harvard, be patted on your back, be told how unfair the judge and jury were, and refer your client to a bankruptcy lawyer. Jurors, unlike students, bite back. In this case, 675,000 times.