Kazaa blocks access in Australia

Found on Sydney Morning Herald on Monday, 05 December 2005
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Kazaa has opted to cut access to its file-sharing network in Australia rather than install keyword filters specified by record companies to block access to copyright music.

Kazaa was originally given two months by the court to change its search technology to prevent the sharing of pirated music.

Music Industry Piracy Investigations (MIPI) said on Tuesday the record companies would return to court to enforce the orders of the copyright judgment which it believed was only on hold if key word filters had been put in place by midnight on December 5.

Sharman Networks, owner of the network, argued that by making the site inaccessible to Australian users it was complying appropriately with the court orders pending the outcome of the appeal.

A user of an unofficial version of the Kazaa software, Lite K++ said he was still able to download music files from artists such as Kylie Minogue from the network on Tuesday. "I don't think this will stop file sharing because there is lots of other file sharing software available," he said.

This won't be much of a success. First, Kazaa isn't that great anyway, and second, someone will create patches. Or just point to Lite K++ which seems to work still fine.