"RIAA 4" lawsuits and "RIAA math" damages

[A mailing-list letter I wrote regarding Record Industry Sues 4 Students Running File-Sharing Networks]

Note copies of the lawsuits are available at:
http://news.findlaw.com/legalnews/documents/index.html#riaa

Note one detail that isn't covered in news reports: The damages are asked for TWICE. Once for direct infringement, and another instance for contributory infringement.

So it totals: $150,000 x 2 x list of very roughly 100 items = Approximately 30 MILLION DOLLARS.

Now, while those are statutory damages, not actual damages claimed, it's still an absurd number. I refuse to believe that number has any sane connection whatsoever to lost potential profits. The entire disposable income of the non-rich student population at each university probably doesn't approach 30 million dollars.

This is "RIAA math" with an almost literal vengeance.

Seth Finkelstein's Infothought blog (Wikipedia, Google, censorware, and an inside view of net-politics) - Syndicate site (subscribe, RSS)