Posted on: Sunday, August 8, 2004

Music download hunt hits Hawai'i

Associated Press

A Big Island woman is being sued by several Mainland record companies that say she downloaded music from the Internet.

The lawsuit filed in U.S. District Court in Honolulu seeks statutory damages and attorney fees from Maleah Lerma. The complaint says Lerma broke U.S. copyright laws when she "used, and continues to use, an online media distribution system to download copyright recordings."

"In doing so, defendant has violated plaintiff's exclusive rights of reproduction and distribution," the lawsuit said. "The conduct of defendant is causing and,

unless enjoined and restrained by this court, will continue to cause plaintiffs great and irreparable injury that cannot fully be compensated or measured in money."

The lawsuit said Lerma downloaded the recordings in Hawai'i.

Lerma was not available for comment.

Hawai'i patent attorney Martin Hsia of Cades Schutte Fleming & Wright said he believes the lawsuit is a first for the state. But he was not surprised the recording industry's push to stop music downloads had come to the Islands.

The lawsuit is part of the recording industry's nationwide effort to stop music file sharing over the Internet. Three months ago, recording executives announced they would file nearly 500 suits in St. Louis, Denver and Washington, D.C.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit are Priority Records, Sony Music Entertainment Inc., Virgin Records America Inc., Arista Records Inc. and UMG Recordings Inc.