"Chinese Democracy" Leaker Changes Plea to Guilty

The blogger who leaked nine songs from Guns N' Roses' Chinese Democracy has agreed to change his plea to guilty in a deal that will reduce the charges against him to a single federal count of copyright infringement, a Los Angeles prosecutor said. Under the deal, Kevin Cogill, the writer for the website Antiquiet who leaked the tracks back in June, will only face a maximum of one year in prison. Whether or not Cogill must reveal his source for the leaks as part of the deal has not been revealed. The plea bargain will bring to an end a tumultuous six months for Cogill. Following a visit from the FBI, Cogill told Rock Daily "If legal proceedings come my way, I'll face them 100 percent." "I'm not afraid of that. I did what I did, and I'll face the music if I have to." Chinese Democracy will finally be released in its finished form on November 23rd.

Related Stories:
• Chinese Democracy Leaker Pleads Not Guilty to Piracy
• Did Guns n' Roses Leaker Know He Broke the Law? Kevin Cogill Asks for Financial Aid
• Chinese Democracy Leaker Arrested on Suspicion of Violating Federal Copyright Law

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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