Swedish man could be ordered to pay $233,000.
It doesn't pay to be a pirate.
Sony Music is looking to make an example out of a Swedish man accused of leaking Beyoncé's 2011 album, 4, online before its release date by suing him for $233,000. The Gothenburg resident, who TorrentFreak.com confirms is a member of the music industry, posted the album in its entirely on popular torrent site the Pirate Bay.
The label says it not only lost sales because of the leak, but that its relationship with the mega-star was imperiled by the leak and its marketing efforts and Bey's own reputation also took a hit. The suit isn't helping Sony's reputation among fans, however, with many torrent users claiming to be "angry" with Sony for taking legal action.
Despite the piracy, 4 sold 310,000 copies in its first week of release and topped the Billboard Hot 200 Albums chart.
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