You are here: silicon.com > Networks > WebWatch

WebWatch

File-sharing software 'legal'

Judge delivers bad news for RIAA...

By John Borland

Published: 20 August 2004 08:25 GMT

A federal appeals court has upheld a controversial court decision that said file-sharing software programs such as Grokster or Morpheus are legal.

Following the lead of a lower-court decision last year, the 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals in Los Angeles said on Thursday that peer-to-peer software developers were not liable for any copyright infringement committed by people using their products, as long as they had no direct ability to stop the acts.

The ruling means that companies that write and distribute peer-to-peer software can't be shut down because of the actions of their customers. It did not say file-trading itself is legal, and lower courts in the United States have said individual computer users are breaking the law when they trade copyrighted files without permission. But the ruling does lift the cloud of potential liability from defendants Grokster and StreamCast Networks, as well as from many of their rivals.

The decision marks a substantial - if not entirely unexpected - setback for the big record labels and movie studios, which have tried hard to win legal rulings that would clamp down on anarchic peer-to-peer networks such as Kazaa or eDonkey.

John Borland writes for News.com

  1. Zones
  2. Management
  3. Networks
  4. Software
  5. IT Services
  6. Hardware
  1. Verticals
  2. Public Sector
  3. Financial Services
  4. Retail & Leisure
Read and write about internet access at the airports of the world at atlarge.com. Rate airports, and see what others have to say...

Peter Cochrane Peter Cochrane's Blog: How the telcos could save themselves Doomed network operators could thrive with a bit of innovation

Peter Cochrane Peter Cochrane's Blog: Facebook saves teen from prison Another unexpected impact of social networking


  • Jobs
Development Manager - Client Onboarding - Technical Integration - FX - TRAIANA

Development Manager with a strong knowledge of FX ECN platforms (eg Hotspot, Lava, Currenex etc), process flows and connectivity, Knowledge of FX ...

Network Manager Operations Manager Director CTO ISP related File Hosting Data Centre Online Storage IT Director Hosting Architect

Operations Manager Director Central London based required ASAP by HIGH PROFILE Online Data Storage Company / (ISP related) VERY HIGH PROFILE Company, ...

FILE-NET CONSULTANTS Up to 80,000 + Bonus

Opportunity to use your File-net skills to work for a global ITO firm. Excellent opportunities to Director level 50,000 - 80,000 + Bonus I am looking ...

Agenda Setters 2009
Welcome to the ninth annual Agenda Setters poll – silicon.com's list of the top 50 most influential individuals in the technology and IT industries, from techies and CIOs to entrepreneurs and business leaders. Find out more in our latest special report.





Quick Sitemap Links: