In a shocking turn of events, news is leaking out that some of the first to feel the wrath of the RIAA will be none other than someones grandparents. Austrailian IT news is reporting that unsuspecting senior citizens, parents and roomates have been served papers.


"Within five minutes, if I can get hold of her, this will come to an end," said Gordon Pate of California, when told that a federal subpoena had been issued over his daughter's music downloads.

The legal papers required an internet provider Comcast Cable Communications to hand over Mr Pate's name and address.

Mr Pate, 67, confirmed that his 23-year-old daughter, Leah Pate, had installed file-sharing software using an account cited on the subpoena. But he said his daughter would stop immediately and the family did not know using such software could result in a stern warning, expensive lawsuit or even criminal prosecution.

"There's no way either us or our daughter would do anything we knew to be illegal," Mr Pate said, promising to remove the software quickly. "I don't think anybody knew this was illegal, just a way to get some music."

Bob Barnes, a 50-year-old grandfather in California, and the target of a subpoena, acknowledged sharing "several hundred" music files. He said he used the internet to download hard-to-find recordings of European artists because he was unsatisfied with modern American artists and grew tired of buying CDs without the chance to listen to them first.

"If you don't like it, you can't take it back," said Mr Barnes, who runs a small video production company with his wife from their three-bedroom home. "You have all your little blonde, blue-eyed clones. There's no originality."


The President of the RIAA said lawyers would persue regardless of personal circumstances because it would deter other internet users. In situations where parents or grandparents were not aware the family's internet use, the news could be especially surprising. However, A defendant's liability can depend on their age and whether anyone else knew about the music downloads.