Flea-Market Owner Liable for Infringement

A California flea-market owner is liable for copyright infringement because he failed to stop vendors from selling pirated music, a federal judge ruled.

The Recording Industry Assn. of America sued Richard Sinnott, operator of the Marysville Flea Market near Sacramento, after notifying him at least four times that vendors at his market were selling thousands of illegal CDs.

The ruling, which the judge wrote is probably the first to hold a flea market owner liable for copyright infringement, may bolster the music industry’s nationwide campaign against illegal music sales at flea markets.