Supreme Court Rules Against File Swapping

CNET.com ^ | June 27, 2005 | John Borland

[Bush2000]

You can now expect a raft of lawsuits against all of the P2P providers. It's going to get pretty messy.

[Borges]

Unanimous decision. I guess they consulted that 'Thou Shall Not Steal' Commandment.

[mlc9852]

They can all file bankruptcy, start new companies and start all over. Music-swapping won't end because of this ruling.

[NittanyLion]

Maybe firms that provide file swapping services should argue that using/disseminating others private property will fuel economic redevelopment via increased local tax revenues. Then stealing...err...using eminent domain to acquire...these files would be perfectly legit.

[Sgt_Schultze]

They forgot that amendment when they decided who has dominion over real estate.

[Lazamataz]

Unanimous decision. I guess they consulted that 'Thou Shall Not Steal' Commandment.

That's an illegal mingling of Church and State.

[Living Free in NH]

Unanimous decision. I guess they consulted that 'Thou Shall Not Steal' Commandment.

But since these file-swapping programs can (and are) used for leagl purposes, isn't that kinda like going after GM for manufacturing bank robbery getaway cars???

[Lazamataz]

They forgot that amendment when they decided who has dominion over real estate.

No lie. This is the most selectively-moral, anti-freedom Court in the history of America.

[Hank Rearden]

This is the most selectively-moral, anti-freedom Court in the history of America.

And what's interesting is that the Republican Party and the Republican President aren't reaming them for it. In fact, The Other Big Government Party is mum and probably fine with it.

[Paul C. Jesup]

That's not a bad idea.

[infocats]

LimeWire and Kazaa still up and running!

[Lazamataz]

And what's interesting is that the Republican Party and the Republican President aren't reaming them for it. In fact, The Other Big Government Party is mum and probably fine with it.

Silence gives assent.

There is no longer a party that represents the American citizen.

[Bush2000]

This is going to put a severe cramp on the folks who deploy P2P networks. BitTorrent, Grokster, Kazaa, Gnutella, Morpheus, Limewire, etc. They're all going to be held responsibile for copyright violations on their networks. And keep in mind, those violations have reached the point of criminality, so the FBI (which previously had a wait and see attitude, pending this case) can now get involved in prosecuting these folks. So filing bankrupty and putting up a new shingle isn't going to help them.

[Quick1]

This has nothing to do with stealing. This ruling is like saying you can sue a gun manufacturer because guns can potentially kill people.

[Hank Rearden]

There is no longer a party that represents the American citizen.

Of course there is, but the two Big Government Parties aren't it.

[Borges]

Oh I know. I was being facetious.

[ecurbh]

Music-swapping won't end because of this ruling.

Of course not. For example, the usenet groups are still going strong. Not that I have any firsthand experience with them, of course. ;~D

[oldleft]

Think about segregation, and you may want to rephrase that.

[Aggie Mama]

Hmmmm. So it's okay to steal a house, but not a song. Got it.

[mlc9852]

Neither do I - just my opinion. I would never download music.:)