just wanted to get people's opinions on the recent court decision in australia that found that kazza was liable for the prohibited copying of music on its fasttrack network. There is a short article here

http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/sec...aldsun,00.html

How about this for an idea. Since two people can't both be guilty of the same act, does that mean that it's illegal to host services that provide for file sharing but not to actually partake in the file sharing. To be honest i wouldn't think so, but it's an idea.

Also, is Kazza now going to be charged with every download that took place over its network. Because i'm pretty sure that alot of people just download songs that they wouldn't otherwise have bought. People have mp3 players that can play for months and still not repeat any songs, and i'm pretty sure that lots of people don't listen to music endlessly for several months.

Or from a technological point of view. Would there have been a different ruling if people had been using a different, decentralised network. How about a network that nobody owned, how could the music companies find somebody responsible for something that nobody owned.

Finally, i understand that record companies and movie studios are making record sales on music and dvds at the same time as they are saying that their industry is being crippled by file sharing over the internet.

note: i don't use kazza, it's full of spyware and not free and open source.
i recomment GNUnet (http://gnunet.org/)

I did not read the article, but only want to comment that "The jeanie os out of the bag", The barn door is open" P2P is here and they, (whoever attempts) is powerless to control it. Sure there have been many attempts to arrest and charge Internet users for copywrite violations but do they really have evidence...? I think not... hey especially with the advent of Wireless If I have a node open who is to say that someone has not hijacked my IP and used my bandwidth to steal music or movies...

It's that easy... I plead ignorance... Opps, sorry I did not provide adaquate security for my wireless connection, Opps, again, hmmm, call Microsoft, it's there software I am using! I did not know. I am inoccent... Get real folks... you can't go after someone directly anymore for content aquirred on the internet because there is really no actual evidence against a certain person.

I have been using the Internet since the early 80's and I belive now as I did then that the gov needs to stay out of the Internet biz....

KC

"Can't Kill P2P" by Annalee Newitz

It is a fact that most media is stolen by people using the windows OS. Microsoft should be shut down and convicted for piracy TODAY.

that is so true

I wonder how many countries have laws preventing people from sharing copyrighted music. In Canada it's currently not illegal, though this may be changing soon.
I remember when local FM radio stations would play albums with no commercial interruptions. Gentlemen start your tape recorders! The technology changes, but the song remains the same (bad led zeppelin reference intended)

EDIT: Sorry, forgot to answer the question. I'm not a fan of kazaa but this is not good. If they go after kazaa could bittorrent be next? I download distros with torrents, sometimes from one of the less reputable sites.

I obtained many an album that way when I was young, those were the days! And I always ended up buying the albums I liked, even though I already had them on cassette. Go figure.