Supreme court "you can be sued for downloading music."

[Drudge]

I know this maybe moved, but it is a discussion about music. The supreme court has ruled limewire, kazaa, and others can be sued for millions is devastating to the music community. It is the highest court in the land. Wtf do we do now?




Court: File-Sharing Services May Be Sued

By HOPE YEN
The Associated Press
Monday, June 27, 2005; 10:41 AM



WASHINGTON -- Internet file-sharing services will be held responsible if they intend for their customers to use software primarily to swap songs and movies illegally, the Supreme Court ruled Monday, rejecting warnings that the lawsuits will stunt growth of cool tech gadgets such as the next iPod.

The unanimous decision sends the case back to lower court, which had ruled in favor of file-sharing services Grokster Ltd. and StreamCast Networks Inc. on the grounds that the companies couldn't be sued. The justices said there was enough evidence of unlawful intent for the case to go to trial.

File-sharing services shouldn't get a free pass on bad behavior, justices said.

"We hold that one who distributes a device with the object of promoting its use to infringe copyright, as shown by the clear expression or other affirmative steps taken to foster infringement, is liable for the resulting acts of infringement by third parties," Justice David H. Souter wrote for the court.

At issue was whether the file-sharing services should be held liable even if they have no direct control over what millions of online users are doing with the software they provide for free. As much as 90 percent of songs and movies copied on the file-sharing networks are downloaded illegally, according to music industry filings.

The entertainment industry said it needed protection against the billions of dollars in revenue they lose to illegal swapping. Consumer groups worried that expanded liability will stifle the technology revolution of the last two decades that brought video cassette recorders, MP3 players and Apple's iPod.

Companies will have to pay music and movie artists for up to billions in losses if they are found to have promoted illegal downloading.

Two lower courts previously sided with Grokster without holding a trial. They each based their decisions on the 1984 Supreme Court ruling that Sony Corp. could not be sued over consumers who used its VCRs to make illegal copies of movies.

The lower courts reasoned that, like VCRs, the file-sharing software can be used for "substantial" legal purposes, such as giving away free songs, free software or government documents. They also said the file-sharing services were not legally responsible because they don't have central servers pointing users to copyright material.

But in Monday's ruling, Souter said lower courts could find the file-sharing services responsible by examining factors such as how companies marketed the product or whether they took easily available steps to reduce infringing uses.

"There is substantial evidence in MGM's favor on all elements of inducement," Souter wrote

[ABN]

it´s still legal over here so i don´t give a shit. and a couple of weeks ago the swedish supreme court came to a decision that it´s illegal for the swedish anti pirate association to track peoples ip´s so they can´t do shit

[Bomb-A®]

so just host the servers and shit in mozambique or summ...wtf is the us supreme court gonna do then...but id watch my ass using edonley if i lived in the US lol



peace

[Don Seer]

please explain how DUBCC is a file sharing service?

people post stuff that are hosted on file sharing services.. e.g. yousendit.com

nothing is stored on the dubcc server.. only links to _offsite_ storage.. links people post are not publicly available.


i have been aware of these issues... the site is not primarily about sharing songs.. i have repeated this constantly.

[westkoastanostra]

i use ares.....but i don't d/l as much shit as used to....i always erase my songs after burning them...

[Trauma-san]

What are you gonna do? Oh, I dunno, how about pay for the music?  Dumbass. 

[White-Chocolate]

^^
true dat, but still i like to peep the album before buying, i really dont feel like wasting money on a shitty CD but most of the good CD's that come out are hella cheap, like $9.99 and shit which is dope.

[Thuglife]

i really dont give a fuck i wanna see the cops fucking knock on my door and ask me if ive been downloading illegel music

[CrookedDynasty]

There's always MIRC. 

[Don Jacob]

It is wrong to download songs, and eventually it's going to be not free anymore so i say fuck it might as well enjoy it while it lasts.

but i got to say that if i really like some music i always buy it. to me if you have a cd collection full of burnt cd's it looks tacky, fuck that.

[rafsta]

i really dont give a fuck i wanna see the cops fucking knock on my door and ask me if ive been downloading illegel music

lol