Copyright Law

Default judgments continue to roll in, in Boston

By Ty Rogers and Ray Beckerman

For those of you who may think that District Judge Gertner has finally recognized that the RIAA's cases are not based on sufficient evidence, sound legal theory, or proper pleading, I would just want to let you know that she continues to enter default judgments, based on the RIAA's written submissions.

I have never reported on default judgments, and do not intend to start doing it now, but if anyone wants to check for themselves, they can go to Capitol Records v. Alaujan, D. Mass., 03-11661, which is the consolidated case for all of Massachusetts, and see for themselves.

It is mind boggling to me that a Judge, after learning that the Massachusetts State Police have preliminarily determined that the evidence upon which the RIAA's cases rest was obtained illegally, would enter judgments based on that evidence without even conducting a hearing. It is likewise mind boggling to me that any judge would accept a default judgment application based on (a) evidence that would be inadmissible in court, and (b) a cookie cutter pleading which patently fails the test of Bell Atlantic v. Twombly.

Needless to say, I am of the view that District Judge Janet Bond Arterton (D. Conn.) got it right in Atlantic Recording v. Brennan, and former District Judge Rudi M. Brewster (S.D. California) got it right in Interscope Records v. Rodriguez, when they held that the RIAA's default judgment applications are improper, and rejected them.

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Full post as published by Recording Industry vs The People on January 29, 2009 (boomark / email).