Court won’t reduce student’s music download fine

BOSTON — A former Boston University student who was ordered to pay $675,000 for illegally downloading and sharing 30 songs on the Internet says he will continue fighting the penalty, despite the Supreme Court’s refusal to hear his appeal.

Joel Tenenbaum, of Providence, R.I., said Monday he’s hoping a federal judge will reduce the amount, which he called “ludicrous.”

A jury in 2009 ordered Tenenbaum to pay after the Recording Industry Association of America sued him. A federal judge called the penalty constitutionally excessive, but the 1st U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated it.

The 1st Circuit instructed a new judge to consider reducing the award without deciding any constitutional challenge.

Tenenbaum said he just graduated Sunday with a doctorate in statistical physics and doesn’t have the money to pay the judgment.