AfterDawn: News

RIAA sued by P2P company for alleged patent infringement

Altnet is a company that sells digital goods thought P2P filesharing networks. On Wednesday, Altnet sued the Recording Industry Association of America over alleged Patent Infringement. The company is accusing the RIAA of infringing one of its patents while attempting to enforce copyright laws inside P2P networks. More companies including Overpeer, owned by Loudeye and MediaDefender were named in the suit. "We've exhausted every means of trying to work with these defendants and those they represent to patiently encourage and positively develop the P2P distribution channel," said Altnet Chief Executive Officer Kevin Bermeister in a statement. "We cannot stand by and allow them to erode our business opportunity by the wholesale infringement of our rights."

Altnet and Brilliant Digital Entertainment are joint venture partners with Sharman Networks, the company that owns the P2P network KaZaa. For several years, Altnet have been trying to convince record labels and studios to allow them to sell their works through the KaZaa network. Of course the labels have unanimously said no to this request. In 2003, Altnet announced they have purchased patent rights to the process of identifying files on a peer-to-peer network using a "hash" code. Lat November, Altnet sent nine cease and desist letters to companies engaged in businesses related to peer-to-peer networks.



One of the companies that received a letter from Altnet was BigChampagne. However, BigChampagne have denied that they use any technology that infringes any of Altnets patents.

Source:
News.com

Written by: James Delahunty @ 8 Sep 2004 20:39

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• 8 comments

• Toiletman

  RIAA finally getting a taste of their own medicine? =D I think Altnet's approach in using P2P to "BENEFIT" the community and the artists by selling products online is very sensible. At least they're not trying to fight the technology, which is near impossible. You got to evolve and adapt to technology, and utilize it to your benefits. You can't fight something which dominates you.
  
  Think of it as this way, America's black out: A lot of Canadians and Amercians were helpless. HELPLESS! Just because the technology shut down! If you try and fight technology and manage to win, you're only damaging the people you want to protect. At least, that's how I see it...

  9.9.2004 12:11 #1

• signal

  im intrested to see where this goes. it is a legal buisness, so that would be a problem. I would think that the RIAA would leave the legal stuff alone and only attack the illegal stuff. this will be intresting...

  9.9.2004 19:50 #2

• strcruzer

  THis goes back to the fact that the RIAA doesn't want P2P because it cuts them out, actually side steps their way of doing business and empowers the artist to market directly to the masses.
  
  I agree with Tolietman that the RIAA is finally gonna get a good taste of their own medicine and I bet they are not going to like it. I'm sure they will try to get their spin doctors on this one as well.

  10.9.2004 11:58 #3

• Coughdawg

  It's karma what goes around comes around. If the RIAA is gonna be sue crazy to set examples then there gonna have to face retaliation. If the industry didn't charge so much for music and movies i mean realy 13 or 15 dollars for a cd that you only like 1 or 2 songs from and 20 to 25 dollars for a dvd give me a break if they offer them at more resonable prices people wouldn't sell them as much.

  10.9.2004 14:13 #4

• Coughdawg

  Mistake in last post sell = steal

  10.9.2004 14:14 #5

• vudoo

  Well this could help to shut down the RIAA. If Altnet wins they could continue the fight afterwards and charge the RIAA for Anti Trust. Then after that they can charge them again for Embezzlement. One charge at a time till these goons are gone for good. It does not take a genius to tell that this is the case when every paid music service charges the exact same amount. So time to stop the gangsters in their tracks.

  12.9.2004 16:07 #6

• fusionz

  so RIAA finally will taste it's own sh*t???:)

  29.9.2004 23:37 #7

• vudoo

  Lets hope so. And let the children or the future learn how greed will conquer you rather you are a person who believes in Metaphysics or not.

  30.9.2004 10:35 #8