Supreme Court to hear P2P case

Found on CNet News on Friday, 10 December 2004
Browse Filesharing

The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday said it would hear a controversial case on whether file-sharing software companies could be held legally responsible for copyright infringement on their networks.

The court's decision could also be a sobering sign for technology companies well outside the world of file-swapping. At the core of the case is an interpretation of a 20-year-old decision that made VCRs legal despite their ability to copy TV shows and movies, which ultimately helped pave the way for a host of technologies ranging from CD burners to Apple Computer's iPod.

"There's a lot more at stake here for the technology industry than for the copyright industry," said Fred von Lohmann, an Electronic Frontier Foundation attorney who has represented StreamCast Networks on the issue. "This case will not be determinant of the future of peer to peer around the world, but it will be determinant of the future of a whole host of future digital products."

If such a decision becomes reality, then there should be good chances that the same idea can be successfully applied in other areas as well. Based on the idea that the manufacturer can be held liable for the misuse of its products, people could start sueing eg. Smith&Wesson. Obviously, their products support homicide; they should be responsible for that too.