Little people victories over the RIAA usually make me happy. Losses not so much, though sometimes people can make some pretty serious mistakes. A man who had been fighting the RIAA and actually was doing well in court has now lost, with the Judge giving an automatic victory to the RIAA. The reason? While the case was under way he decided to wipe his hard drive. His actions bring to end nearly two years of fighting in the courts.
The Judge felt that by wiping the hard drive in question, he was destroying evidence. Even if the man had a real reason for wiping his machine - many of us do that several times a year - it was still a poor choice at this point in time. All things being equal, he shouldn't have even been using the machine. It definitely ruined his case.
At the very least, it serves as a warning to others who the RIAA is trying to strong-arm - don't destroy your hardware or wipe your drives, even if it has nothing to do with them.