extortion demand for copyright violation

I sold a cd that inadvertently may have had 3 or 4
copyrighted images on it (I copied the wrong file). Now the
copyright owner is demanding $1000 cash or he will get a
judgement and then a lien on my house. I want to know if it
is advisable that I pay this, and that if it is safe to
send this guy money (I mean he could keep it and not send
me the settlement agreement that releases me from
liability). Or if I should tell him where to go. Please advise. Thank you.

additional info: my profit for the cd was measly $1.99 (that is one dollar and 99 cents). He is demanding $1000 from me.

He's bluffing. It will cost him thousands in legal fees to get a judgment, assuming you don't fight him on it. And any judge would likely only award him "actual" damages for an inadvertent act on your part, which means he'll award him about $2 for his efforts.

My two cents? Ignore him and he'll go away.

Thank you very much for your reply. I hope you are correct, and what you say sounds right to me. But I am still scared about this. He said that he will sue me and I will have to pay his legal fees. He told me that he will get a judgement and then a lien against my house. He sounds serious. It is sounding as if I need to get a lawyer. Thank you sincerely for your help.

I know this thread has long ended, but in the interest of my near anal compulsion for accuracy, let me point out extortion is not the same as blackmail ( Law 101 ) Extortion usually includes the threat of commission of a crime if an act or directive is not performed or followed, while blackmail is usually limited to monetary or other valuable consideration to keep from releasing or divulging personal, defaming ( etc ) information. Trying to get money alone is not technically extortion. It is, in its strictest sense, blackmail. Obviously, to the blackmailee, the difference is negligible. But, there is a difference.

Much ado. Carry on.

: )