Music Industry Sues 83-Year-Old Dead Woman

[MountainLaurel]

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/wireStory?id=472382

Gertrude Walton was recently targeted by the recording industry in a lawsuit that accused her of illegally trading music over the Internet. But Walton died in December after a long illness, and according to her daughter, the 83-year-old hated computers.

More than a month after Walton was buried in Beckley, a group of record companies named her as the sole defendant in a federal lawsuit, claiming she made more than 700 pop, rock and rap songs available for free on the Internet under the screen name "smittenedkitten."

Walton's daughter, Robin Chianumba, lived with her mother for the last 17 years and said her mother objected to having a computer in the house. "My mother was computer illiterate. She hated a computer," Chianumba said. "My mother wouldn't know how to turn on a computer."

Chianumba said she faxed a copy of her mother's death certificate to record company officials several days before the lawsuit was filed, in response to a letter from the company regarding the upcoming legal filing.


They knew she was dead before they filed suit? What kind of bucks are they looking for, from the estate of a dead woman in WV? Christ on a cracker, these people are insane.

[fit4life]

1. Interesting.

I notice the 17 year old said the woman "objected to having a computer in the house" but didn't actually say there WASN'T a computer there.

My money is on the 17 year old being the actual culprit.

[dorktv]

3. No she lived with her mother for 17 years...not that she herself

was 17.

[bluestateguy]

2. Just conirming why I have not bought a CD in almost 2 years

When they put this shit to a stop and lower prices, I'll buy CD's again.

[FreedomAngel82]

4. CD's are too high now days

I normally buy them at Target. They're not too bad. At FYE they're around $20-25!