Settlement talks fail in Duluth music downloading case

The chances of a replay of the nation's first music downloading trial are increasing after settlement talks in Duluth failed to produce a deal.

Attorneys for the recording industry and defendant Jammie Thomas-Rasset met with U.S. Magistrate Judge Raymond Erickson on Tuesday.

Minneapolis attorney Brian Toder, who represents the defendant, says some offers went back and forth, but the two sides are now at an impasse.

The record companies sued Thomas, saying she downloaded copyrighted tracks using the KaZaA peer-to-peer file-sharing network.

They won their case in October 2007, but about a year later Judge Michael Davis ruled that he made a mistake in his instructions to the jury and granted a new trial. A retrial is scheduled to begin in June.

---

Information from: Duluth News Tribune, http://www.duluthsuperior.com

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)