Court Won't Hear Gun Industry's Appeal

[Rose Siding]

WASHINGTON -- The Supreme Court declined Monday to consider dismissing a lawsuit seeking to hold gun manufacturers responsible for the 1999 shooting of a letter carrier by a white supremacist.

Without comment, justices let stand a ruling of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that reinstated a lawsuit against gun manufacturers and distributors. The companies' weapons were used by Buford Furrow to kill Filipino-American Joseph Ileto and wound five people at a Jewish day care center in a Los Angeles-area rampage.

The high court's move, which allows the lawsuit to proceed toward trial, is good news for gun-control groups who say increased liability will stop industry sales tactics that put weapons into the hands of criminals. Several cities nationwide have sought to sue gun manufacturers, but with little success.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-scotus-gun-lawsuits,0,7148556.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[BlueEyedSon]

1. Surprising! nt

[Ezlivin]

2. If Kazaa/Napster et al can be sued because of what users do...

...why don't gun manufacturers fall under the same scrutiny?

The RIAA has said (or rather implied through its actions) that if a piece of software is used for illegal purposes, the creator of the software must be punished. Basically, they argue that since peer-to-peer sharing allows theft of copyrighted material, the creator of said software must be held liable.

If this logic is applied to gun manufacturers, then we will have a flurry of lawsuits.

[goju]

3. Why not car manufacturers too, and computer manufacturers....

we can take that logic to its conclusion and decide that if any product is used illegally, the manufacturers and distributors are liable. I think we went through something very similar when VCR's came onto the market. The film industry tried to sue the pants off the manufacturers because, they argued, they were made explicitly for "stealing" copyrighted material. Didnt work then, shouldnt work now.

[Ezlivin]

4. I agree

I think you pointed out the fault in RIAA's argument.

Once this precedent is set, all hell will break loose.

[goju]

6. Yes, but hopefully, this case will go to court

and it will be thrown out in very short order. Send a message that sueing the manufacturer is nothing but outright extortion.

[Philly Buster]

5. It's all about deep pockets, not justice

This lawsuit should have been tossed