Capitol Records, Inc. v. Thomas-Rasset
United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit
692 F.3d 899 (2012)
After three separate jury trials over Jammie Thomas-Rasset's (defendant) willful, noncommercial downloading and distribution of 24 copyrighted songs, juries successively awarded Capitol Records and other companies (plaintiffs) $222,000, then $1,920,000 (remitted to $54,000), then $1,500,000 (again reduced to $54,000, the amount the district court deemed the constitutional maximum). The companies elected to appeal seeking reinstatement of only the original $222,000 award, plus an injunction; Thomas-Rasset cross-appealed, arguing any statutory damages award was unconstitutionally excessive.
Whether statutory damages awards under the Copyright Act are unconstitutionally excessive under the Due Process Clause.