September 3rd, 2008
Slash to album poster: 'Rot in jail'
You might question why illegally posting an unreleased album on your website should put you in federal penitentiary for three years, but Guns ‘n’ Roses guitarist Slash doesn’t.
“I hope he rots in jail,” said Slash, the former Guns N’ Roses lead guitarist. “It’s going to affect the sales of the record, and it’s not fair.” (LA Times)
Kevin Cogill posted nine songs from the unreleased GnR album, Chinese Democracy, and is now being prosecuted under the Family Entertainment and Copyright Act. He faces three years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
“In the past, these may have been viewed as victimless crimes,” said Craig Missakian, an assistant U.S. attorney in Los Angeles who built the case with the FBI and recording industry investigators. “But in reality, there’s significant damage. This law allows us to prosecute these cases.”
Cogill welcomes donations to his legal defense.
I am trying to take full responsibility for my predicament. I consider the burden of legal fees ultimately mine to bear; I have independently raised the funds required to retain my attorney. However, it has definitely been by far the biggest expense I have ever faced in my entire life, and my resources are very limited while formidable costs shall continue to pile up. It’s beyond daunting, being a single independent citizen facing a full-force prosecution by the most powerful government in the world.
The United States Attorney’s Office has almost unlimited resources to prosecute. The FBI has nearly unlimited resources to investigate. And while by “resources” I mean taxpayer dollars of course, in this case they also have the added resource of the band’s lawyers. (Antiquiet)
