Eric Clapton wins lawsuit against German woman who tried to sell bootleg CD of his 1987 concert for $11 on eBay... and now she owes thousands in court fees

  • 'The woman, known only as 'Gabriele P., claimed her late husband bought the CD of a Clapton concert back in the 1980s, and insisted that she didn't know she was violating any copyright law when she listed it on the popular online auction
  • But following the German judge's ruling this past week, the woman, who never sold the live concert CD, will now have to pay nearly $4,000 in court costs for copyright infringement, according to the German news outlet DW 
  • The bootleg titled — Eric Clapton: Live USA — was listed on eBay for 9.95 euros, or about $11.20, for one day before it was removed
  • Somehow Clapton got word of the posting, took legal action, and sent the court an affidavit stating that the recordings were illegal
  • The woman, who lives in the small German town of Ratingen, which is about an hour outside Cologne, told the court her husband bought it at a popular department store in 1987 
  • The judge ruled that it didn't matter that she hadn't purchased the CD herself and did not know the recording was done illegally 
  • In the end, the injunction required the defendant to pay the legal fees of both parties, which came to about €3,400, which translates to about $4,000 

By KEVIN KAYHART FOR DAILYMAIL.COM

Published: | Updated:

Legendary rocker Eric Clapton won a lawsuit brought against a German woman who was trying to sell a bootlegged copy of one of his concerts on eBay for the equivalent of about $11.

The woman, known only as 'Gabriele P., claimed her late husband bought the CD of a Clapton concert back in the 1980s, and insisted that she didn't know she was violating any copyright law when she listed it on the popular online auction.

But following the German judge's ruling this past week, the woman, who never sold the live concert CD, will now have to pay nearly $4,000 in court costs for copyright infringement, according to the German news outlet DW.

Taking action! Eric Clapton won a lawsuit against a German woman who tried to sell a bootleg CD taken of one of his concert's in the 1980s for the equivalent of $11.20

Taking action! Eric Clapton won a lawsuit against a German woman who tried to sell a bootleg CD taken of one of his concert's in the 1980s for the equivalent of $11.20

The bootleg titled — Eric Clapton: Live USA — was listed on eBay for 9.95 euros, or about $11.20, for one day before it was removed.

Somehow Clapton got word of the posting, took legal action, and sent the court an affidavit stating that the recordings were illegal. 

The woman, who lives in the small German town of Ratingen, which is about an hour outside Cologne, told the court her husband bought it at a popular department store in 1987.    

The judge ruled that it didn't matter that she hadn't purchased the CD herself and did not know the recording was done illegally.  

In the end, the injunction required the defendant to pay the legal fees of both parties, which came to about €3,400, which translates to about $4,000.  

The ruling: A German judge ruled that it didn't matter that the woman didn't actually purchase the CD, which was a recording from Clapton's concerts in 1980s, and that she didn't know the recording was done illegally

The ruling: A German judge ruled that it didn't matter that the woman didn't actually purchase the CD, which was a recording from Clapton's concerts in 1980s, and that she didn't know the recording was done illegally

The court also ruled that if she tried to sell the Clapton bootleg again she faced a fine of €250,000 or six months in prison. 

Klaus Günther, the woman's attorney, told Bild that she planned to 'appeal again.'  

It turns out, Clapton's legal team contacted the woman and demanded that she take the illegal CD listing off of eBay, but she declined and asked them to stop harassing her.

The Guardian reports she even told Team Clapton that if they were so bothered with her $11 sale, they should go ahead and sue her. 

Over the years. the rock and blues guitarist has been among a group of major artists and record companies who have successfully sued hundreds of bootleg cases in the German courts.            

Thousands in court fees over $11 CD: Following the judge's ruling, the injunction required the defendant to pay the legal fees of both parties, which came to about ¿3,400, or about $4,000

Thousands in court fees over $11 CD: Following the judge's ruling, the injunction required the defendant to pay the legal fees of both parties, which came to about €3,400, or about $4,000

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