Donna sez, "The transcript from a hearing in Patricia Santangelo's filesharing case shows the judge refusing to be, in Mike Godwin's words, 'a mere conduit steering Ms. Santangelo to the RIAA's 'conference center' (which should properly be called a "surrender center").'
MR. MASCHIO: No, all I was suggesting, your Honor, is that, if she doesn't come with an attorney, that the more direct way of doing this — and this is just to facilitate things — is to deal directly with the conference center.
THE COURT: Not once you've filed an action in my court.
MR. MASCHIO: Okay.
THE COURT: You file an action in my court, your conference center is out of it. They have nothing to do with anything.
MR. MASCHIO: Okay. I'll give her my card.
THE COURT: If you are here, you are here as an officer of the court. You're taking up my time and cluttering up my calendar, so you will do it in the context of the Court. Maybe it will be with a magistrate judge, but you will be representing your client, not some conference center. And if your people want things to be done through the conference center, tell them not to bring lawsuits.
It's a nice reminder that the RIAA lawsuits affect real people with real lives — even busy judges who may chafe at the role they're being asked to play in this unfortunate, ineffective "education" campaign.
(Thanks, Donna!)
