Billionaire backs P2P firm's battle with Hollywood

heregister.co.uk ^ | 3-18-05 | Ashlee Vance

[soccer_linux_mozilla]

Technology entrepreneur, Dallas Mavericks owner, billionaire, blogger and often blowhard Mark Cuban has pledged to finance P2P software maker Grokster's legal war with the major record labels and movie studios.

The Supreme Court tomorrow will hear arguments surrounding Grokster and StreamCast's dispute with the media companies. Hollywood is hoping the high court will overturn two lower court decisions that said makers of decentralized P2P software cannot be held liable for users who trade copyrighted files. Cuban, who owns movie theaters and the rights to numerous TV shows and movies, has gone against his peers by saying P2P software should have a chance to thrive.

[soccer_linux_mozilla]

Mark Cuban's blog

http://www.blogmaverick.com/

[ShadowAce]

[soccer_linux_mozilla]

please add me to your tech ping list

[ShadowAce]

Done!

[Tribune7]

bump

[KoRn]

Love the new graphic!

[N3WBI3]

From what I read in the article, this is nothing but a gesture as the case is already moved its way through court. I think its really sad that P2P is under such attack because some misuse it but its what I have come to expect from hollywierd, this with things like the dcma, and the granting of trivial patents threaten to stop innovation and improvement of technology..

[JerseyHighlander]

Could you please add me to the tech ping list?

[kezekiel]

Thats what is ahead of us if Grokster loses. Thats what happens if the RIAA is able to convince the Supreme Court of the USA that rather than the truth, which is , Software doesnt steal content, people steal content, they convince them that if it can impact the music business, it should be outlawed because somehow it will. It doesnt matter that the RIAA has been wrong about innovations and the perceived threat to their industry, EVERY SINGLE TIME. It just matters that they can spend more then everyone else on lawyers.

Amen, brutha. The RIAA and MPAA are out of control, software patents are out of control, and the public good--which is what patents and copyrights were created to enhance--suffers. Politicians like Orrin Hatch are bought out or mesmerized by FUD-spreading corporate spin doctors. Enough is enough.