Patricia Santangelo Suit Dismissed With Prejudice

Filed in archive Consumer Rights , Legal , RIAA, IFPI on April 20, 2007

After two years RIAA's lawsuit against Patricia Santangelo has been dismissed with prejudice. RIAA cannot file again in the future against Ms. Santangelo. The only matter open is whether Ms. Santangelo will be awarded attorney fees. In December of last year RIAA dropped its case against Patricia Santangelo and focused on her children.

The case follows the trajectory of RIAA's lawsuit against Deborah Foster's in Oklahoma. That case was similarly thrown out with prejudice and also had involved a child, not the parent, who may have been the illegal downloader. Both cases make it clear that owning an Internet account that may have beenused in copyright infringement is insufficient grounds for such lawsuits.