Grooveshark Faces a $736,050,000.00 Hammer…

When Universal Music Group declared ‘legal jihad’ against Grooveshark, it turns out they actually meant it.   Now, after flattening Grooveshark and its principals on grounds of willful copyright infringement, the parties enter the phase of figuring out just how brutal this punishment will be.

Grooveshark attorneys at Rosenberg & Geiger are now watching this village get burned.  After a trial that turn up damning emails, erased data, and other sordidness, US District Court judge Thomas P. Griesa has dramatically increased the fines and punishments that Grooveshark parent company Escape Media can potentially face.  “The jury will be instructed that the maximum statutory damages is $150,000, not $30,000, per infringed work, due to the fact that the infringements were willful, but the parties will be able to introduce evidence on the degree of willfulness,” copyright and internet attorney Ray Beckerman explains.

“Since there are 4,907 works, that means the minimum damages that can be awarded is $3,680,250.00, and the maximum could be $736,050,000.00.”

Jury deliberations over statutory damages begins on Monday.  The full decision is here (thanks to Ray Beckerman for sending that over!)

Source: Industry News