Eric Clapton wins legal case against woman selling bootleg CD on eBay for £8.45

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Eric Clapton has won a legal battle against a woman selling a bootleg CD of his on eBay for €9.95 (£8.45).

The “Wonderful Tonight” singer brought the case against a German woman on grounds of copyright infringement after she was found to be selling the item on eBay.

The defendant claimed that she was unaware that selling the album, which was a bootlegged recording made at a concert in the 1980s, was considered illegal. She claimed that her late husband had said that he had brought the item at a department store.

The defendant had appealed to the Düsseldorf regional court after Clapton brought a case against her, but it was rejected on Wednesday (15 December).

Local news (via DW) reports that the judge said it didn’t matter that she didn’t know the recording was made illegally or that she didn’t buy the album herself.

An injunction was issued on Clapton’s behalf, requiring the defendant to pay both parties’ legal fees, amounting to around €3,400 (£2,880).

If she continues her attempt to sell the CD, she faces a fine of €250,000 (£212,000) or six months in prison.