Eric Clapton won a judgement against a German widow who sold a bootleg CD of a 1987 concert on eBay. The defendant, Gabriele P. told the German newspaper Bild in November: “The CD (Eric Clapton – Live USA) is said to have been recorded illegally. I received a warning first, then the ruling. My husband bought the CD in a department store, not somewhere under the counter.” Under German law, the losing party is liable for the all costs of both parties, with the woman now forced to shell out a cool $3,820 to the rock legend.
Clapton's manager, Michael Eaton told The Guardian, “Germany is a country where sales of bootleg and counterfeit CD's are rife, which damages the industry and customers with poor quality and misleading recordings. Along with a number of other major artists and record companies, over a number of years Eric Clapton has, through German lawyers, successfully pursued hundreds of bootleg cases in the German courts under routine German copyright procedures.”
Rolling Stone reported: “Although Gabriele P. did not purchase the bootleg herself and was unaware that it was an unauthorized recording when she listed the CD on eBay, a regional court denied her lawyer’s request for dismissal and instead scheduled a December 15th court date on the matter. . . If she tries to sell the CD again, she would face a fine of (over $280,000) or six months in prison, the judge ruled.” Gabriele P. plans to appeal the ruling.
