BREAKING: US Supreme Court Rules Against P2P

[Suhit Gupta]

<div class='os_post_top_link'><a href='http://www.betanews.com/article/Supreme_Court_Rules_Against_File_Sharing/1119884733' target='_blank'>http://www.betanews.com/article/Supreme_Court_Rules_Against_File_Sharing/1119884733</a><br /><br /></div><i>"In a long-awaited decision that could have stark repercussions for P2P networks, the United States Supreme Court on Monday gave record labels and movie studios a green light to sue file-sharing services such as Grokster and Morpheus, which maintained they were not responsible for the actions of their users. The Court rejected arguments saying such lawsuits could quell the spread and growth of new digital video and audio devices, instead siding with companies holding the rights to copyrighted work. The ruling means that the case against Grokster is sent back to the lower court, which had previously ruled that file sharing companies could not be held liable for copyright infringement. According to the Supreme Court, there is enough evidence for the case to go to trial."</i><br /><br />This is appropos of the discussion from earlier today. Reactions?

[Felix Torres]

Very finely-crafted decision actually.
They focused on behavior, not technology.

They said that if you encourage piracy and try to build a product or company that exists primarily for piracy, you have to face the consequences of those actions.

Simple and straighforward; no need to muddy the waters with technology issues or non-infringing uses of the tech.
Doesn't mean the P2P companies are out of business...yet...
But they do have to answer for what they've done in a court of law.
(They might still get off, but it looks doubtful...)

Basically the Betamax decision stands but, just as somebody using vcrs to pirate movies for sale still was liable, so too the P2P companies are liable. No free passes to be found hiding behind hypothetical legal uses...

Not bad at all.

[Mr. MacinTiger]

Just another step in the march until America becomes a police state...With the Supreme's property rights decision last week, we now don't really own private property...With Homeland Security breathing down our necks for stuff that isn't even remotely connected to terrorism...With MPAA and RIAA having the FBI in their back pocket to enforce dubious copyright lawsuits...We are on a sinking ship, folks.

I'm packing the car and heading for Canada. With the creation of an iTunes Canada store now, there is nothing holding me back from becoming a Canuk.

[James Fee]

I'm glad. I just couldn't believe that companies could build a business on something that is illegial. Now we can have a real focus on p2p and get some real business models working.

Of course I don't think this will kill this type of p2p as they can move offshore, but none of those will get the investor backing they need to expand.

[ctmagnus]

I'm packing the car and heading for Canada. With the creation of an iTunes Canada store now, there is nothing holding me back from becoming a Canuk.

Nothing except the fact that the word Canuck has two c's in it. ;)

[Damion Chaplin]

They said that if you encourage piracy and try to build a product or company that exists primarily for piracy, you have to face the consequences of those actions.

It seems to me that creating a product with the 'intent to pirate' would be difficult to prove... Like saying the gun manufacturers make guns with the 'intent to kill people'. Sure, that's what most guns are used for, but can you prove that the manufacturers intended their product to be used that way? Not so far...

Seems like the legal process has a ways to go yet...

[jlp]

THAT DECISION IS UTTERLY UNACCEPTABLE!!!

They'd have to shut down every knife manufacturer, every gun factory, every car company, etc.

Assault guns are made for killing, knives are made for cutting (even tho that's not the primary purpose; but this is TRUE for guns; killing that is).

Not too long ago the US was an example to most of the world (except only some Middle East countries), now with such an arrogant behavior they're loosing ground fast (as a country, NOT individuals).

Edit: I hadn't read your post imperium999; I always have 20-30 IE windows open at once 8O and hop between some, searching further and opening more windows, until I close some and come back to some posts I want to answer :oops:.

[jlp]

Following the Supreme Court's decision, their next move will be to outlaw EVERY photocopy machine, whose ONLY purpose is to copy mostly copyrighted material !!!

How many gazillions of copyrighted documents have been copied with those devices and largely spread AROUND THE WORLD!!! (even by that judge himself :twisted:)

D@m, this judge is insane!!

[hyedipin]

^I agree

That's a totally ignorant and "heard and decided" decision by the supreme :roll: court! I wonder if that judge knows what p2p means..

I can hear...


Sharing is illegal!
Do not share.. :twisted: Copyrighted or not.. do not share!
Give me all your money..

I will control everything.