The legal battle against unauthorized downloading of songs is getting more and more serious. Earlier, Recording Industry of America affiliates sued an Augusta man for allegedly illegally pirated and shared copyrighted music.

The lawsuit, filed last week in U.S. District Court for the District of Maine, alleges Scott Hinds, 23,
to have illegally downloaded the following songs:

"Automobile" by NWA, Priority Records, LLC; "All Over You" by LIve, UMG Recordings Inc.; "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman, Elektra Entertainment Group; "Don't Know Why" by Norah Jones, Capitol Records Inc.; and "What Would You Say" by Dave Matthews Band, BMG Music.

The allegation is that Hinds used an "online media distribution system" to download music and distribute them to others. The suit did not state the download service allegedly used in obtaining the songs. According to the association, "online investigators searched for copyrighted recordings made available by individuals on peer-to-peer networks." If Hinds is found guilty, he shall be the first to be punished for downloading music on the Internet.