A ruling to watch

[Gonz]

Until the government regains its balance, this could be a landmark decision with long term effects.

By TED BRIDIS, AP Technology Writer

WASHINGTON - When the Supreme Court justices were growing up, swapping music meant exchanging vinyl records. And sharing a movie involved walking someone to the cinema.

Today many of the latest hit songs and movies are a few mouse clicks away on the Internet, and those same justices are being asked to settle a multibillion-dollar dispute about how such items are shared.

Entertainment companies want the court to let them sue the manufacturers of file-sharing software that allows computer users to download music and movies from each other's computers. The companies say such downloads violate copyright protections and amount to stealing.

Lower courts have sided with the software makers, Grokster Inc. and StreamCast Networks, which say their technology should be looked at no differently than a videocassette recorder.

The Supreme Court hears arguments Tuesday and will issue a decision before July.

AP

 

[MrBishop]

I've had this discussion with a buddy of mine who happens to work in the ffilm industry.


When you buy a cassette, VCR tape, CDR or DVDR...you pay a supplement which amounts to a copyright of whatever you put on it. Television channels pay a fee to show a film or TV show, movie theatres and radio stations alike to play movies or music. If you tape off the radio, you've paid your part and the radio station has as well...perfectly legal. Ditto when you tape a movie off of TV. Ditto if you make a backup of your bought CDs (even if you mix and match your music).
but...what you don't pay for is a distribution fee. You have no right to distribute your music, TV shows, movies etc... to others, wether you do so for free or for pay.

Its still legal to DL music off the web etc...you aren't breaking the law because you paid a premium on your CDRs to do so... you just can't share your own to others.

Interesting quandry, eh?