Kazaa files-sharer faces £1 million fine

Penalty is five times higher than was previously awarded

A woman in America has been given a record-breaking fine for illegally file-sharing music on P2P website Kazaa.

Jammie Thomas-Rasset has been ordered to pay $1.92 million (£1.17 million) in fines in a re-trial for the offence which took place back in 2007.

Unfortunately, her second stab at dodging a penalty for the offence meant that her original $220,000 fine has been made five times bigger.

Not worried

The suit has been backed by the Recording Industry Association of America, and the new verdict essentially means that Thomas-Rasset will now have to pay $80,000 for each of the 24 songs she swapped via P2P using Kazaa. Ouch.

In a statement, a somewhat cool, calm and collected Thomas-Rasset said to reporters: "There's no way they're ever going to get that. I'm a mom, limited means, so I'm not going to worry about it now."

The RIAA is obviously pleased with the verdict, its spokesperson Cara Duckworth saying: "We appreciate the jury's service and that they take this issue as seriously as we do.

"We are pleased that the jury agreed with the evidence and found the defendant liable. Since day one, we have been willing to settle the case and remain willing to do so."

By Marc Chacksfield