In a unanimous opinion, the Supreme Court today shot down any hopes of legal protection that P2P networks may have, ruling in METRO-GOLDWYN-MAYER STUDIOS INC. ET AL. v. GROKSTER, LTD., ET AL. that P2P networks such as Grokster actively promote copy infringement and are therefore subject to liability under the Copyright Act.
In its decision the Court said:
One who distributes a device with the object of promoting its use to infringe copyright, as shown by clear expression or other affirmative steps taken to foster infringement, going beyond mere distribution with knowledge of third-party action, is liable for the resulting acts of infringement by third parties using the device, regardless of the device’s lawful uses.
Stay tuned for more analysis of this landmark decision and check out our resource page on the Grokster case.
Cynthia Brumfield at 12:39 PM|Comments(0)
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