December 16, 2008 8:50 AM ET
The blogger arrested for leaking nine songs that ultimately wound up on Guns n' Roses' Chinese Democracy pleaded guilty to federal copyright violation. Kevin Cogill made the plea at a Los Angeles court yesterday, admitting that he did leak the songs in June on his Antiquiet Website. Cogill initially pleaded not guilty at his first court date, but agreed to change his plea in exchange for the prosecution recommending he only receive probation. Cogill still faces a year in federal prison, probation and a large fine.
After Axl Rose's long-awaited opus performed poorly on the sales charts, Cogill's leak joins Best Buy's lack of promotion and Rose's refusal to promote the album as leading reasons why Chinese Democracy has been disappointing from a business perspective. For Cogill, the plea bargain is just the latest chapter in a long and litigious year that has included a clash with Gn'R's management and a visit from the FBI. "If legal proceedings come my way, I'll face them 100 percent," Cogill told Rock Daily in June. "I'm not afraid of that. I did what I did, and I'll face the music if I have to."
Related Stories:
• "Chinese Democracy" Leaker Changes Plea to Guilty
• 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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