Film Industry to Sue Server Operators

[ckramer]

LOS ANGELES - The U.S. film industry is preparing to sue computer server operators in the United States and Europe who help relay digitized movie files across online file-sharing networks, a source familiar with the movie studios' plans said Tuesday.

The lawsuits are aimed at disrupting the unauthorized distribution of movie files through BitTorrent and eDonkey, two popular online file-swapping services, the source associated with the effort The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.

Ap story

[DRoseDARs]

1. Will they also sue...

...the computer and TV makers for providing a way to view ill-gotten films? Will they sue hard-drive makers who help by providing a place to store said films? Will they sue the power companies for powering all of these devices? Seems if they are going to go at this in such a vague fashion, they should go all the way.

[muriel_volestrangler]

6. From the article:

The initial wave of lawsuits targets computer servers that index movies for BitTorrent users, but Malcolm said the trade group is eyeing similar action against servers that direct data for the DirectConnect and eDonkey file-swapping services.

Malcolm noted that neither the creator nor distributors of BitTorrent, whose architecture enables speedy downloads because users share received bits of a file as it is downloaded, were targeted in the suits.

"The target of our actions is not technology," Malcolm said. "There are many legal Torrent sites ... that are dedicated to the distribution of public domain work and we are taking no action against them whatsoever."

[lostnfound]

2. This is a nightmare and a way to begin Internet consoliation & CONTROL.

Faced with lawsuits, this will drive smaller server operators out. Any court ruling giving server operators any responsibilities will open the door to Tenet's dream of government control over the Internet.

[drmalto]

3. I thought all the file-swappers started charging for the service

Never looked into BitTorrent and eDonkey.

[Deja Q]

4. How can US laws work out side US borders? European servers must face

European laws, surely?

[bemildred]

5. Blackmail and threats won't save their sorry asses.

:-)

[livinginphotographs]

7. Maybe they can get Hilary Rosen

the anti-filesharing nazi turned HRC buddy ol' pal to help out.