White Plains, N.Y. - A teenager sued by the major record labels for copyright infringement on file-sharing networks has accused the labels of collusion, extortion and conspiring to defraud the courts, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday.

The industry initially sued the mother of 16-year-old Robert Santangelo in 2005, but later dropped its case when she refused to settle; the labels then filed suit against Robert and his now 20-year-old sister, Michelle.

In papers filed Tuesday, Robert Santangelo and his lawyer, Jordan Glass, raised 32 defenses and launched a counterclaim against the labels -- alleging they damaged Robert's reputation and distracted him from school, while also straddling him with legal fees.

Among his defenses, Santangelo claims he never shared copyrighted music; that the songs the labels say were illegally downloaded were actually ripped from his sister's CD collection; and that the statute of limitations on the matter has passed.

The record industry defended its piracy lawsuit in a statement issued by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA).

"The record industry has suffered enormously due to piracy. That includes thousands of layoffs. We must protect our rights. Nothing in a filing full of recycled charges that have gone nowhere in the past changes that fact." The recording industry has to date filed over 18,000 lawsuits against individuals for copyright infringement on file-sharing services.

Related Links:
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2007-01-31-teen-music-suit_x.htm
http://www.riaa.com