Supreme Court Grokster Suit Update

DigitalMediaWire reports from Washington that "oral arguments were presented to the Supreme Court on Tuesday in MGM v. Grokster, the landmark copyright infringement case pitting the entertainment industry against makers of peer-to-peer file-sharing software."

"CNET News.com reported that while the justices "were critical of the entertainment industry’s proposal, which would hold companies ‘predominantly’ supported by piracy liable for copyright infringement," they also "showed little sympathy for the file-swapping companies’ business model."

The Associated Press reported that justices "wondered aloud whether such lawsuits might have discouraged past inventions like copy machines, videocassette recorders and iPod portable music players," while also asking "whether profits from trafficking in stolen property can rightfully be used to help finance a young technology business."

"The Los Angeles Times reported that Justice Sandra Day O’Connor "suggested a software firm could be sued and put out of business if it drew customers by touting its system as a way to obtain free copies of copyrighted music," a compromise short of allowing lawsuits against any peer-to-peer software company. Outside the court, a group of Nashville musicians protested on behalf of the entertainment industry, while file-sharing advocates carried signs with messages such as "Save Betamax."

Some related links:

http://www.freep.com/news/latestnews/pm3470_20050329.htm
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A8684-2005Mar29.html
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-032905fileshare_lat,0,5047457.story
http://www.eff.org/IP/P2P/MGM_v_Grokster