WASHINGTON (CNN) – High-tech reached the nation’s high court Tuesday as Supreme Court justices questioned whether online file-sharing networks could be held accountable for copyright infringement.
At issue is whether the entertainment industry can continue aggressively pursuing not only those who illegally download copyrighted songs, movies and photos, but also those who sell file-sharing software and services.
A San Francisco-based federal appeals court in August ruled those file-sharing companies were not responsible, since their products do not directly tell users where they can download protected material.
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) Studios sued the two makers of file-sharing software, Grokster and StreamCast Networks, claiming it has lost billions of dollars in revenue from the illegal distribution of its property, and has had to spend millions more developing anti-theft technology and prosecuting offenders.
Just remember this, nobody sues the gun manufacturer when their loved one is murdered. Just because something can be used to break the law, does not mean it will.
Aaron Fulkerson 