Notoriously incoherent has-been Eric Clapton has successfully sued a German woman for selling a bootleg concert CD on eBay for $11 USD.
The decision was reached by the Düsseldorf regional court on Wednesday (December 15). Filed on behalf of the musician, an injunction forbids the 55-year-old woman in the town of Ratingen from selling bootlegged '80s recording Eric Clapton — Live USA after Clapton sent the court an affidavit stating its illegality on the grounds of copyright infringement.
"They told me Eric Clapton had complained," the defendant told German newspaper Bild last month. "The CD is said to have been recorded illegally. I received a warning first, then the ruling."
She claimed she was not aware that she was infringing copyright when she put the CD up for sale on eBay for $11 USD (which is a significant up-charge on its actual worth, but that's not technically a criminal offence). Though she appealed to the court that her late-husband had said he'd purchased it in 1987 at a well-known department store, it was rejected.
As per Clapton's injunction, the defendant will be required to pay the legal fees of both parties, totalling approximately $3,825 USD (according to the newspaper). And, if she continues to offer the CD for sale, she could face six months in prison or a fine totalling up to $281,180 USD.
What a way for him to finalize his bid as a key music industry villain in 2021.
If Clapton's jackassery has managed to slip through the pop culture cracks for you this year, start here: this summer, the anti-vaxxer announced that he will not perform in venues where COVID tests or vaccines are required. Before that, he'd teamed up with fellow COVID denier Van Morrison for an anti-lockdown anthem.
The decision was reached by the Düsseldorf regional court on Wednesday (December 15). Filed on behalf of the musician, an injunction forbids the 55-year-old woman in the town of Ratingen from selling bootlegged '80s recording Eric Clapton — Live USA after Clapton sent the court an affidavit stating its illegality on the grounds of copyright infringement.
"They told me Eric Clapton had complained," the defendant told German newspaper Bild last month. "The CD is said to have been recorded illegally. I received a warning first, then the ruling."
She claimed she was not aware that she was infringing copyright when she put the CD up for sale on eBay for $11 USD (which is a significant up-charge on its actual worth, but that's not technically a criminal offence). Though she appealed to the court that her late-husband had said he'd purchased it in 1987 at a well-known department store, it was rejected.
As per Clapton's injunction, the defendant will be required to pay the legal fees of both parties, totalling approximately $3,825 USD (according to the newspaper). And, if she continues to offer the CD for sale, she could face six months in prison or a fine totalling up to $281,180 USD.
What a way for him to finalize his bid as a key music industry villain in 2021.
If Clapton's jackassery has managed to slip through the pop culture cracks for you this year, start here: this summer, the anti-vaxxer announced that he will not perform in venues where COVID tests or vaccines are required. Before that, he'd teamed up with fellow COVID denier Van Morrison for an anti-lockdown anthem.
