Feds Demand Prison For Guns N’ Roses Uploader
A prison sentence for a Guns N’ Roses-illegal uploader is being sought by prosecutors to highlight how serious the government is about punishing those who upload pre-release material.
Federal prosecutors in Los Angeles are pursuing a 6-month prison term for Los Angeles man, Kevin Cogill, who pleaded guilty in December to one misdemeanor count of uploading pre-release Guns N’ Roses tracks, according to court documents.
Cogill was arrested last summer at gunpoint and charged with uploading nine tracks of the Chinese Democracy album to his music site. The album, which cost millions and took 17 years to complete, was released November 23rd, 2008.
“Making a pre-release work available to the worldwide public over the internet where it can be copied without limit is arguably one of the more insidious forms of copyright infringement,” prosecutor Craig H. Missakian wrote in court documents. “That is because once released it is virtually impossible to prevent unlimited dissemination of the work.
“Needless to say, artists like the band Guns N’ Roses put their blood, sweat, toil and tears into the creative process and this country has seen fit to protect their rights — and in doing so foster and encourage the creative process by which all of society benefits.”
It is estimated that after Cogill uploaded the material, as many as 1,310 websites disseminated the music afterwards.
In other Guns N’ Roses news, the band are said to be weighing up a worldwide stadium tour with Van Halen.
The way this guy has been treated is shameful, did the feds really have to bust into his house at gunpoint terrifying him and his girlfriend?
Most of those songs he uploaded had been floating around the net for years, why dont they go after the arrogant assclowns in Axl’s little clique who were responsible for all the original leaks?? Or what about the actual leaker this guy obtained the songs from?
What about the small local record shops selling CD weeks before the official release date and didnt get counted amongst the official sales figures? I walked into a shop and picked a copy off the shelve 10 days before the official UK release!
They should throw Axl in jail for making Chinese Democracy in the first place.
Cogill refused to say where he got the music from, Realist. Anyway, the music was protected under federal law, and he obtains the stolen music then uploads on to his own site. How stupid can you be?
In any case, this is only the beginning. In a couple of years the illegal downloading and filesharing of music, movies, and games will have been wiped out. Its alrteady happening in Ireland, a broadband provider will cut off internet access to those engaging in illegal downloading. Laws are been passed th that effect in France, too.
It’s good if he goes to jail! It will get rid of one of these criminals and maybe make all the others think twice about what they are actually doing and how it will affect album sales!
The feds obviously feel they need to make an exampleof this guy. I wonder how much of a stink Axl and his campa re making about it behind the scenes though – they must be pretty pissed off that the album flopped? Mind you, not promoting it, doing interviews, releasing videos for singles or touring (watch this space??) in support of your “masterpiece” 17 years in the making seems like a colossal own goal – I’m sure its really to annoy the record company.
I really wasn’t sure about this album when I first got it back in November but its really grown on me – there are some magic moments – This I Love, Better, Chinese Democracy but some mince as well – Rhiad and the Bedouins any one? Not the most accessible album I’ve ever heard but once you get into it its pretty good. Doesn’t feel like a GN’R album though
jail???? if thats the case, anyone who ever taped a record, recorded a video of the t.v. borrowed a c.d. listened to radio ect should be jailed too right?
so this guy had some songs early so what? he wasnt harming anyone,he’s not a threat of harm to anyone, just a fan of music, maybe he was just a little excited and wanted to show off his coup like we used to when we got a promo record in the 80’s and let your mates tape it! this has been the norm with music fans forever. i bet even axl had some tapes when he was nobody, come on axl its a shit record anyway even free its a waste of money!
“In a couple of years the illegal downloading and filesharing of music, movies, and games will have been wiped out.”
You have no idea about how this whole internet thing really works, I’m guessing.
Jacko, I get what your saying but Axle has no say in this case, nor anyone else fron guns. Cogill broke federal law, meaning its between him and the FBI. Axle couldnt actually stop this even if he wanted to.
its great! its fucking great that we are tying up the american judicial system and putting people in prison/jail who uploaded some songs to a website! how about a strict fine? why would you EVER put this man, charged with a non violent (in every aspect of the word) crime, in a federal prison?! this is RIDICULOUS!