More shutdowns... this time by the FBI

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/crime_starwars_dc


WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. law enforcers said on Wednesday that they have shut down a computer network that distributed illegal copies of "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" before it appeared in movie theaters.

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Federal agents executed 10 search warrants and seized the main server computer in a network that allowed people to download nearly 18,000 movies and software programs, including many current releases, the FBI and Homeland Security Department said.

The Elite Torrents network, found online at www.elitetorrents.org, relied on a technology called BitTorrent that allows users to quickly download digital movies and other large files by copying them from many computers at once.

NY Times MGM v. Grokster

As Piracy Battle Nears Supreme Court, the Messages Grow Manic
By TOM ZELLER Jr.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear a pivotal case pitting copyright holders against the makers of file-sharing software.

Judge Posner and Prof. Landes Write On the Meaning of Limited Monopolies

http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=319321

 

 

Mark Cuban On Grokster

Mark Cuban shares his thoughts on what the last decade or so of technological advancement has done for him and America.  Also, what an unfavorable decision for Grokster by the United States Supreme Court will mean for technology’s future.

Supreme Court Date Set for Grokster

Washington, DC - The US Supreme Court set the date for
oral argument in MGM v. Grokster for March 29, 2005. EFF
is defending StreamCast Networks, the company behind the
Morpheus peer-to-peer (P2P) software, against 28 of the
world's largest entertainment companies.

The companies first brought this lawsuit against the makers
of the Morpheus, Grokster, and KaZaA software products
in 2001, hoping to obtain a legal precedent that would hold
technology makers responsible for the infringements
committed by the users of their products. The entertainment
companies lost in District Court, then lost again on
appeal to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

The lower court rulings were based on the Supreme Court's
landmark decision in the 1984 Sony Betamax case, which
determined that Sony was not liable for copyright
violations by users of the Betamax VCR.

A final ruling is expected by the end of July 2005.

For this media alert:
http://www.eff.org/news/archives/2005_01.php#002221


MGM v. Grokster case archive:
http://www.eff.org/IP/P2P/MGM_v_Grokster/

Electronic Frontier Foundation

EFF Mission Statement

If America's founding fathers had anticipated the digital frontier, there would be a clause in the Constitution protecting your rights online, as well.
Instead, a modern group of freedom fighters was necessary to extend the original vision into the digital world.
That's where the Electronic Frontier Foundation comes in.
Just as Patriots fought for liberty and freedom, we fight measures that threaten basic human rights. Only the dominion we defend is the vast wealth of digital information, innovation, and technology that resides online.
The Electronic Frontier Foundation is a group of passionate people — lawyers, technologists, volunteers, and visionaries — working in the trenches, battling to protect your rights and the rights of web surfers everywhere. The dedicated people of EFF challenge legislation that threatens to put a price on what is invaluable; to control what must remain boundless.
Electronic Frontier Foundation: Because being able to share ideas and information is the reason the Web was created in the first place!

Wired News Reaction

 

Katie Deans of Wired.com counters Bill Gates comments.

 

Professor Lessig states that Bill has it wrong and that free culture advocates are Commonists, not Communists.

MGM v. Grokster Petitioner's Briefs Available

petitioner's briefs are availabe at various locations. eff has them available through their site.

Bill Gates: Free Culture Advocates are Commies

Bill Gates was recently quoted by news.com that he believed that free culture advocates are a sort of communist. He went on to say that America, to remain a productive nation, needs incentive based intellectual property rights. Click here to read reactions to Mr. Gates analogy.

Streaming of Consciousness

I have heard the future of radio, says John Duncan - and it's a nifty piece
of free software that has introduced him to untold new wonders and banned Queen
from his PC

John Duncan of the UK observer writes about radio streaming.

UC-Berkeley Professor Samuelson on MGM v. Grokster

Recently, Pamela Samuelson raised interesting comments concerning the MGM argument likely to be seen in their upcoming brief which is due soon.She also raises issues concerning why 9 justices who know very little about technology are capable to rule on the future of such technology.