AfterDawn: News

Usenet.com loses case to RIAA

The RIAA has won a case against Usenet.com, the popular company used for file sharing via newsgroups.

The federal ruling, by Judge Harold Baer Jr. of New York, found Usenet.com liable for copyright infringement, and passed the ruling unto a magistrate that will either impose a fine or start a cease and desist on all infringing activity.



The suit was filed by the trade group in 2007.

Says the RIAA: "This decision is another example of courts recognizing the value of copyrighted music and taking action against companies and individuals who are engaging in wide scale infringement. We hope that other bad actors who are engaging in similar activity will take note of this decisive opinion."

"We're disappointed in the outcome," notes Charles Baker, the lawyer representing Usenet.com. He did add however that the precedents set in the case will not "adversely affect future Usenet defendants."

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 2 Jul 2009 2:39

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• 10 comments

• fungyo

  another sad day for the advancement of technology. Sure newsgroups aren't new, however only a small percentage of people know of it's usefulness for legitimate content.
  It is useful to artists themselves. I wonder if Trent Reznor from NIN shares their music using usenet technology? He puts NIN music up at the thePirateBay for us to listen and share.
  
  Another blow to internet openness.
  
  Looking on the bright side of things, i do believe this will bring another wave of music fans to become RIAA/Music Mafia ex customers.

  2.7.2009 07:25 #1

• emugamer

  It's starting to creep up. The RIAA type organizations of the world are gaining ground. Or at least using the media agencies to their advantage. Rapidshare, TPB, now Usenet. Hundreds of alternatives may surface, but not with the same strength.

  2.7.2009 07:56 #2

• varnull

  This is no surprise at all.. the owners of the newsgroups directly host files.. and directly charge money to access them.. that isn't sharing.. that my friends is the actual definition of piracy :)
  

  
  
  Free open source software = made by end users who want an application to work.
  I would rather you hate me for who I am than love me for what I am not.
  “It is poor civic hygiene to install technologies that could someday facilitate a police state.” - Bruce Schneier

  2.7.2009 08:17 #3

• willko

  Quote:This is no surprise?
  
  You've made me quite sad. So long NNTP <sigh>
  
  Money can't buy love my ass.
  
  I blame the yutes - lazy ass, know nothing, poptards dropped the baton - or worse were seduced by the dark side... weak minds. Thank Spag I got mine, 500 crypted teras, the history of all that was (worth something). <pulls ejector seat cord>
  
  Abandonment by the disillusioned and bored is cause of death.
  
  Anyone seen Idiocracy?
  
  IAAFLAILI

  2.7.2009 09:20 #4

• Thalius

  http://www.usenet.com/ is not newsgroups but a company named Gandi SAS which sells usenet services to people who do not know how to use newsgroups and news servers. As far as I am concerned, finally RIAA got someone who profited and deserved it. There is no remote argument of fair use here, just another privateer. The kinf who sell water for 20 dollars a gallon in a crisis. By the way, their website is still up asking for your money.
  
  From http://www.networksolutions.com/whois/index.jsp
  
  owner-c:
  nic-hdl: GR1593-GANDI
  organisation: ~
  person: Gerald Reynolds
  obfuscated: Obfuscated by Gandi
  address: (Gandi) 15 place de la Nation
  zipcode: (Gandi) 75011
  city: (Gandi) Paris
  country: (Gandi) France
  phone: (Gandi) +33.170377666
  fax: (Gandi) +33.143730576
  email: 65372a930ddbefe7151fb1ad73ca2527-876074@contact.gandi.net
  lastupdated: 2008-10-19 19:14:36

  2.7.2009 17:51 #5

• willko

  AFAIK usenet.com operate under the same back end provider as easynews & newshosting = Highwinds...? (http://www.newsgroupservers.net/)
  
  While they may offer some kind of web friendly GUI ( a lot do these days) for "non NNTP literate users" they are still an NNTP service provider which peers and provides access to newsgroups with any number of news reader client software packages. ( http://www.usenet.com/server_info.htm)
  
  IIANM, A precedent has been set for prosecution of NNTP service providers. Appeal and due process may affect this precedent (fingers crossed) but it is none-the-less a worrying development that ALL newsgroup providers will be watching (very) closely.
  
  Despite my rather pessimistic post earlier I actually have high hopes that the vested interests and established business models of current NNTP entities will provide a more robust war chest and solid platform from which a sensible and coherent rebuttal may be launched.
  
  This is in contrast to P2P services ( TPB for example) who were/are piss poor ($) and have little (if anything) to support a long winded campaign, ergo their current line of thinking.

  3.7.2009 06:37 #6

• varnull

  Quote:
  Anyone seen Idiocracy?every time they want electing.. we don't see them very often in between

  4.7.2009 12:51 #7

• llongtheD

  It won't be long. Soon we'll all be rat holed into our little cages for the counting. Corporations have purchased the government, while the masses sit idly by.

  5.7.2009 03:28 #8

• zdiggler

  As long as Usenet providers keep it hard to get stuff so doesn't get flooded with kiddies.
  
  I used usenet via BBS way before winsock!

  6.7.2009 00:10 #9

• rockabout

  i was thinking
  most of you guys and gals have been to some kind of share site
  where you download and maybe upload from around the world
  sometimes you see advertisements and the like on those sites.
  but the loads are free
  im sure if you think about it those sites make money right
  lets say radio stations
  they pay BMI or ASCAP or SECAC
  who pays writers and performers
  radio makes money artist makes money
  website uses peoples stuff and keeps the ad money all to themselves
  sites like the nabster and others dont see it like that.
  what if i used their site to promote my stuff and didnt give them anything, what do you think,
  ill bet they call a lawyer
  wanna bet.
  really?

  2.8.2009 01:33 #10