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I think the amount was way out of line, because I don't think the civil court system should be used for punitive purposes. If the corps had been able to show how they were actually hurt by her actions, it would have made sense to force her to pay damages, but they can't actually show that, so they went for "statutory" damages, meaning they can rely on the power of their legal lobby rather than actually having to do research to show that there is any negative impact on them at all. That's just strong-arm bullying, in my opinion.
It might be the case that the recording industry is actually being hurt by actions such as the defendant's, but in that case, they should have to show it through research. If they can't show that these actions cause harm (especially to the artists), there should be no crime attached.
And yes, I'm now a published author (non-fiction), and I'd feel the same way if it was my content being passed around. (Heck, at this point in my career, I'd be delighted if anyone cared enough about my book to pass it around the darknet, though I suppose my publisher wouldn't like to hear me say that.)
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