Tanya Andersen Launches Class Action Lawsuit Against RIAA
In a move that is sure to elicit cheers withing the file-sharing community, Tanya Andersen has launched a class-action lawsuit against the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).
In 2005, Andersen was sued by the RIAA for copyright infringement. Anderson, maintained her innocence from the start, but the RIAA wouldn’t budge and told her to settle the claim. Incensed by the charge, Andersen countersued and then filed for a summary judgement. (“summary judgement” — two words that seem to buckle the knees of the trade organization every time… —Ed.) According to class action paperwork filed with the US District Court for Portland, Oregon, “on the eve of summary judgment, the lawsuit was dismissed with prejudice,” the filing asserts.
However, Andersen’s counterclaim is still pending and is now being combined into the class action case. “This lawsuit seeks to recover on behalf of Plaintiff, and all others similarly situated as class members, compensation for the significant damages caused by Defendants,” the Class Action filing states.
Now in pure American judicial fashion, the complaint not only targets the RIAA, but also SafeNet, Inc., formerly known as MediaSentry who performed the digital forensics, as well as the Defendant Settlement Support Center, a collections agency employed by the RIAA.
The Future: Andersen is on the warpath. The 43 year-old, single mom has taken up arms and is out for major blood. Spurred on by Deborah Foster, who scored a summary judgement following a very similar case dismissal, Andersen has major momentum behind her. The RIAA should nip this in the bud before it snowballs…
