Winamp & Shoutcast Forums - P2P Company Sues RIAA

Quote:

P2P outfit sues RIAA for copyright theft

What a strange inverted world in which we live

By Nick Farrell: Friday 10 September 2004, 08:56

SUING MACHINE, the RIAA is on the legal defensive after a P2P software company has accused it of nicking its technology.
Altnet is suing the RIAA and several of its partners of pirating its patent covering technology for identifying requested files on a P2P network. According to IDG Altnet lsent cease-and-desist letters to a number of companies, telling them to stop using its technology to bugger up P2P networks with bogus files.

The lawsuit alleges patent infringements by the RIAA, Overpeer, Loudeye, Media Sentry and four executives at the RIAA and Loudeye.

Overpeer, flogs antipiracy kit and the lawsuit claims that the two companies, at the behest of the RIAA, flood P-to-P networks like Kazaa with spoof files.

Altnet says that the methods Overpeer and Media Sentry use to match their files with those sought by users infringe the Kinetech patent. It wants a permanent injunction barring the companies and executives it has charged from using file-matching technology covered by its patent. It also seeks compensation for monetary damages in an amount to be determined. So far the RIAA has not commented on the case, but following the RIAA's tough line on its intellectual property theft if it loses we hope that it demands the maximum sentence for itself as a warning to other pirates.

Based on their previous demands before governments through-out the world I would say crucifixion would probably be appropriate for a first offence.*

*Guest appearance of joke trademarked by Monty Python 'Life of Brian' was courtesy of the fair use criteria of the Millienium Copyright Act.