Jari Ketola
24 Jun 2004 3:22
The U.S. Senate is preparing a bill that would ban P2P file-swapping networks, and could also imperil some consumer electronics devices. The Inducing Infringement of Copyrights Act bill introduced on Wednesday would make whoever intentionally induces any violation of copyright law legally liable for the violations.
In April 2003 federal court judge Stephen Wilson ruled that Streamcast is not liable for copyright infringements that take place using their software. Wilson saw that P2P software is comparable to a video recorder, which can be used for both legal and illegal purposes. In 1984 the Supreme Court ruled that manufacturers of VCRs cannot be held responsible for possible copyright infringements.
Since the IICA is designed to counter the rulings and put the blame on manufacturers, it could outlaw not only P2P networks, but also ReplayTV, and even the VCR. According to Jessica Litman, a professor at Wayne State University who specializes in copyright law, the wording of the bill is so broad that it might even put the Web sites distributing the software at risk for inducing infringement.
Senate members downplay the concerns by stating that the bill is aimed specifically at those who "conduct their business with the intention of inducing others to break the law".
You can find more discussion on the topic at our discussion forums.
Source: News.com