The recording industry has filed 41 more lawsuits against computer users in at least 11 U.S. states it said were caught illegally distributing songs over the Internet, continuing its aggressive campaign against online music piracy.
The latest copyright suits this week bring to 382 filed since the Washington-based Recording Industry Association of America announced its legal campaign nearly six months ago.
The group"s president, Cary Sherman, said the group has no plans to cut back, even as media coverage over the continuing lawsuits wanes.
"People who engage in illegal file-sharing should be aware, whether or not they hear about it this month, that doesn"t mean the enforcement program has been reduced in any way," Sherman said. "If anything it will be increased."
Among the RIAA"s recent targets is retiree Ernest Brenot, 79, of Ridgefield, Washington, who wrote in a handwritten note to a federal judge that he does not own a computer nor can he operate one. Brenot was accused of illegally offering for download 774 songs by artists including Vanilla Ice, U2, Creed, Linkin Park and Guns N" Roses.