AfterDawn: News

Grokster and Morpheus should implement filters

The representatives for both the entertainment industry, and the P2P companies Grokster and Streamcast Networks gave their statements in the landmark P2P case. The arguments were presented before a three-judge panel for the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in Pasadena, California.

The entertainment industry called for blocks and filters to be implemented in P2P software limiting the sharing of copyrighted material.



"They can be ordered by this court to do something to control the use of their software, said Russell Frackman, attorney for copyright holders represented by movie and music industry groups. "Filters and blockers can be put into place that will limit the (copyright) infringement."

The lawyers for both Grokster and Morpheus said that such filters would effectively shut them down. They also repeated their view on software manufacturers not being responsible for possible illegal uses of their products.

Morpheus attorney Fred Von Lohmann commented after the hearing, that the filters aren't exactly what the entertainment industry is after. "In reality, they want to shut us down, and this is not the job of the courts," Von Lohmaan said.

Source: News.com

Written by: Jari Ketola @ 4 Feb 2004 10:28

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• 3 comments

• GrayArea

  All cars sold in the USA must have a device that strictly limits the top speed of the vehicle to 65mph, otherwise people can break the law with them.
  
  Think the entertainment industry execs with their Jaguars would go for that one? Same argument far as I can tell. One more butt-load from the entertainment lawyers...

  4.2.2004 12:12 #1

• cleft

  It is the typical thought mode of the RIAA. We have a problem, you should fix it for us. While you are at it, please pay for whatever it takes as we want to keep our money. Now that we think about it, why don't you develop some software for filters, we don't know how to do it but surely you will come up with it, we have faith in you doing the right thing. (or lawyers to try and make you do so even if it is not possible) We see no problem in this...
  
  RIGHT
  

  Experience is usually gained after you need it.

  4.2.2004 17:44 #2

• vudoo

  Napster tried filters b4 there were shut down. The filter arguement was meant to shut down Napster. Instead they need to find a way so that the Ad-Supportive software built into these p2p applications help to compensate the artists. If this were to happen at least people might not complain as much about bannar ads. But the RIAA never figured this out. Might take them 10 years while us real p2p users figured this out back in 1998 when they decided to kill Napster. In fact Napster was offering to do this very thing and the RIAA decided not to agree with the deal. As long as they are in full control they are happy. And if not they want to shut down whom ever is in direct competition with them.
  
  Voodoohippie

  10.2.2004 12:01 #3