Enzo Mazza
28-09-2006, 11:38
Judge Says StreamCast Liable in Lawsuit
By ALEX VEIGA
AP Business Writer
378 words
27 September 2006
22:42
Associated Press Newswires
English
(c) 2006. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A federal judge ruled Wednesday against the distributor of the Morpheus online file-sharing
software, finding the firm encouraged computer users to share music, movies and other copyright works without
permission.
The ruling was a sweeping victory for coalition of Hollywood movie studios, record companies and music
publishers who sued Los Angeles-based StreamCast Networks Inc. and similar firms in 2001. The case led to a
landmark copyright ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court last year.
In the 60-page decision, U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson granted the entertainment companies' motion for
summary judgment, concluding there was more than enough evidence of "massive infringement" on
StreamCast's network, despite the company's arguments that it did not encourage computer users to violate
copyright laws.
"In the record before the court, evidence of StreamCast's unlawful intent is overwhelming," Wilson wrote.
A StreamCast spokesman did not have an immediate comment on the ruling.
"No single court ruling solves piracy or can make up for several challenging years for the music community, but
there's no doubt that that rules of the road for online music are better today than they were yesterday," Mitch
Bainwol, chairman and chief executive of the Recording Industry Association of America, said in a statement.
Barring successful appeal, Wilson's ruling caps a long-running court battle over Internet file-sharing that
erupted after the entertainment industry succeeded in shuttering pioneer file-swapping network Napster.
The rise of Napster clones such as Morpheus, Kazaa, Grokster and others prompted the entertainment
companies to sue StreamCast and the operators of Grokster and Kazaa.
In 2003, Wilson ruled the file-sharing firms could not be held liable for the actions of the users of their software,
a decision upheld by the appeals courts.
But last year, the U.S. Supreme Court heard the case and ruled that file-sharing companies could be held liable
for deliberately encouraging or inducing customers to commit online piracy.
As part of its ruling, the Supreme Court sent the lawsuit back to Wilson's jurisdiction.
By ALEX VEIGA
AP Business Writer
378 words
27 September 2006
22:42
Associated Press Newswires
English
(c) 2006. The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - A federal judge ruled Wednesday against the distributor of the Morpheus online file-sharing
software, finding the firm encouraged computer users to share music, movies and other copyright works without
permission.
The ruling was a sweeping victory for coalition of Hollywood movie studios, record companies and music
publishers who sued Los Angeles-based StreamCast Networks Inc. and similar firms in 2001. The case led to a
landmark copyright ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court last year.
In the 60-page decision, U.S. District Judge Stephen V. Wilson granted the entertainment companies' motion for
summary judgment, concluding there was more than enough evidence of "massive infringement" on
StreamCast's network, despite the company's arguments that it did not encourage computer users to violate
copyright laws.
"In the record before the court, evidence of StreamCast's unlawful intent is overwhelming," Wilson wrote.
A StreamCast spokesman did not have an immediate comment on the ruling.
"No single court ruling solves piracy or can make up for several challenging years for the music community, but
there's no doubt that that rules of the road for online music are better today than they were yesterday," Mitch
Bainwol, chairman and chief executive of the Recording Industry Association of America, said in a statement.
Barring successful appeal, Wilson's ruling caps a long-running court battle over Internet file-sharing that
erupted after the entertainment industry succeeded in shuttering pioneer file-swapping network Napster.
The rise of Napster clones such as Morpheus, Kazaa, Grokster and others prompted the entertainment
companies to sue StreamCast and the operators of Grokster and Kazaa.
In 2003, Wilson ruled the file-sharing firms could not be held liable for the actions of the users of their software,
a decision upheld by the appeals courts.
But last year, the U.S. Supreme Court heard the case and ruled that file-sharing companies could be held liable
for deliberately encouraging or inducing customers to commit online piracy.
As part of its ruling, the Supreme Court sent the lawsuit back to Wilson's jurisdiction.