Thursday, June 30, 2005

Analysis: What the ruling against Grokster really means

Analysis: What the ruling against Grokster really means
by SCOTT FULTON
Tom's Hardware Guide, publication date: 27 June 2005
"This morning's ruling makes multiple references to the 1984 Sony case. But it appears to define new circumstances in which the classic 'Betamax defense' may no longer apply.

'What's scary--and I use that word advisedly--is that we have, by virtue of this ruling, now exchanged the really pretty clear and economic beneficial certainty for innovators and developers of creative devices and software, that we've been living with under the Sony Betamax case for the last 20 years, for a new and clearly fact-intensive and ultimately litigation-intensive set of untried tests," said Adam Eisgrau, Executive Director of P2P United, a peer-to-peer industry trade group."

No comments: