Nov. 16 headlines: A 23-year-old Charlottean ran one of the country’s biggest music piracy sites
Rocky Ouprasith is a 23-year-old living in northwest Charlotte. In 2013, he ran the country’s second-biggest illegal music file-sharing site. Tuesday, he’ll find out his punishment for music piracy after running RockDizMusic.com and RockDizFile.com.
The Texas transplant ran the sites for nearly 3 1/2 years, and the numbers are ridiculous:
– $6.1 million: The estimated value of the pirated material.
– 7.5 million: Page views for RockDizMusic.com in January 2014.
– $75,000-$80,000: Money Ouprasith boasted of making in 2013.
– 709,410: Number of times users downloaded music from the site in a six-month period.
– $7.6 billion: Amount the U.S. music industry’s revenues have fallen since 1999.
– 5 and $250,000: Maximum years in prison and fines that Ouprasith faces. He’ll be sentenced Tuesday.
According to this Adam Bell Observer article, a federal agent downloaded albums from Kelly Clarkson and Linkin Park, and songs by The Wanted from the site. They couldn’t pick better music?
In other headlines …
– Charlotte native and Myers Park graduate Erin Bacon was in Stade de France in Paris when bombs went off nearby Friday. She wrote about her experience.
– Charlotte is still looking for a new planning director — the person who oversees planning, zoning, land use and development for Charlotte. That’s a pretty important job as “Charlotte is expected to keep shooting up like a teenager hitting a growth spurt,” Ely Portillo writes.
– Don’t forget: Construction on the I-77 toll lanes is expected to begin today.
– A 13-year-old is suing the state of North Carolina over climate change. Shoot, at 13 I wasn’t thinking about anything beyond algebra and the next middle school dance.
– Transit ridership in Charlotte has declined this year … or has it? CATS thinks people aren’t being counted correctly.
– The Panthers are 9-0 after beating the Tennessee Titans 27-10, and Cam Newton made some people mad by doing a little dance after a touchdown run. I love touchdown celebrations. #KeepDancing, Cam.
– The Hornets beat Portland last night after scoring 71 points — in the first half.
– For years the Catawba River has supplied the Charlotte area with water and energy, but drought and population growth could change a river that many have taken for granted. Learn about the Catawba and its effect on the Charlotte area.
This story was originally published November 15, 2015 at 9:36 PM with the headline "Nov. 16 headlines: A 23-year-old Charlottean ran one of the country’s biggest music piracy sites."