Kevin Cogill, the blogger who was arrested for leaking nine songs from the new Guns N' Roses album, shouldn't count on Slash coming to his aid, but he has set up a defense fund, and he's hoping for your help.
The 27-year-old Cogill, who posts under the name Skwerl on his website antiquiet, was bailed last week after being arrested on suspicion of violating federal copyright laws.
In a blog on antiquiet entitled The United States Of America Vs. Me, Cogill (Skwerl) writes, "Hi everyone. As you are all undoubtedly aware, I was arrested at gunpoint last Wednesday by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and I am now facing a federal criminal charge by the United States Government of copyright infringement, after allegedly hosting a stream of 9 Guns N' Roses songs, for a brief period of time in June.
As a result, many old friends, new enemies, creepy strangers and reporters have been cramping my style; Asking questions, offering to help, threatening to injure/kill me, wishing me luck, wishing that I rot in jail for the rest of my life, hiding in my bushes, et cetera."
Legal fees mounting
Talking about his arrest, Cogill says he is "trying to take full responsibility for my predicament" but admits that the legal costs are already mounting. "I consider the burden of legal fees ultimately mine to bear; I have independently raised the funds required to retain my attorney. However, it has definitely been by far the biggest expense I have ever faced in my entire life, and my resources are very limited while formidable costs shall continue to pile up. It's beyond daunting, being a single independent citizen facing a full-force prosecution by the most powerful government in the world."
Defense fund
Cogill asserts that many people have already expressed interest in donating to offset his legal fees, and he has opened up a defense fund. "You can send funds via PayPal to defense@antiquiet.com," he writes. "We'll be keeping track of every single contributor, and we're exploring ways we can show our appreciation and thanks."
We find it admirable that Cogill is "trying to take full responsibility" for his actions, but we're scratching our collective heads at his use of the term "allegedly" when it comes to leaking the tracks - especially when this is still on his website.
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