Monday, September 05, 2005

Wired News: File-Swapping Illegal Down Under

File-Swapping Illegal Down Under
Associated Press, 10:02 AM Sep. 05, 2005 PT

SYDNEY, Australia -- A federal court ruled Monday that the popular file-swapping program Kazaa infringes on copyright and gave its purveyors two months to alter the system so its users can no longer engage in music piracy.

Hailed as a victory by the recording industry, the court's decision has implications well beyond the borders of Australia, where Kazaa executives are based, due to the internet's global nature.

Federal Court Judge Murray Wilcox determined that Kazaa's owners and distributors, led by Sharman Networks, took no action to rein in illegal activity despite posted warnings on their website urging Kazaa users not to swap copyright material.

Wilcox said it had been in the financial interest of Sharman and its partners "to maximize, not minimize, music file-sharing."

Read the full article here : Wired News: File-Swapping Illegal Down Under

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