Google Wants Court To Say That Links To Music Files Don't Mean Google Is Infringing Copyrights
from the could-be-useful dept
We've noted in the past some of the similarities, from a legal standpoint, of search engines like Google, and music search engines/bittorrent tracker sites -- and yet the music search sites keep getting shut down. So we thought it was interesting late last year when a small indie label, called Blues Destiny sued both Google and Microsoft because search results on the site pointed to unauthorized copies of Blues Destiny music that was hosted on RapidShare. There were all sorts of problems with the lawsuit, but we wondered if the ruling would at least touch on some important issues concerning music search engines. However, it appears that Blues Destiny folks realized they had no case and dismissed the lawsuit... though it told Google that it still believed the company infringed on its copyrights, and it intended to refile the lawsuit.Eric Goldman points us to the news that after waiting a couple of weeks for Blues Destiny to refile, and having its lawyers tell Google that they believed Google still violated the company's copyrights, Google has come back and filed for a declaratory judgment that it does not violate Blues Destiny copyrights:
Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team
Filed Under: copyright, infringement, links, search engines
Companies: blues destiny, google
Reader Comments
Subscribe: RSS
View by: Time | Thread
TWICE in canada
YUP that means like it should and YA know we can't hold your hands and make tech do everything , its a simple thing to say and practice and if you do not uphold htis then it MASSIVELY OPENS liability to a TON of NON internet issues
NOW when a car is in an CRIME you could sue the manufacturer.
GET ready for the CAR CAM that is installed for YOUR PROTECTION...THE hammer and tool police that will now be required to watch you use every hammer and tool such that you are not using them in any crime
the PENCILATOR POLICE so you dont jab that next victim.
AND YES we are only doing it cause we are thinking of the children.
LOOK at p2pnet case and now its heading to supremem court and it will won cause common sense disctates that to do the opposite also places too much burden on freedoms and rights.
Here in Canada you could argue that making the link maker responsible , means they are subject then to CRUEL and UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT to apply the fix correction.
OF course its easy to add an exemption for illegal sex acts.
YOU dont need to punish the rest of us cause 5 people in Canada are sick out of 33 million and my last part is to that. DOES it stop the bad porn? NO Drives it underground where you cant get these sycophants.
So do we want a retarded society or one thats proud to have a brain?
P.S. OMG I hope this is readable OMG OMG
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: TWICE in canada
This insane ruling would be as crazy as censoring what's shown on television because people are too stupid to not watch what they don't like or approve of.
Oh, wait a minute...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: TWICE in canada
A major problem with the responsibility of visiting a posted link (other than the obvious logistical problems) is that, if a user posts a link to illegal-to-view content, visiting the link can make you a criminal.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: TWICE in canada
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: TWICE in canada
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: Re: TWICE in canada
"Hence the argument that there shouldn't be anything that is illegal to simply view. It's quite reasonable."
Unless you ask the question "Illegal WHERE?". If I was in certain Middle East Countries, it would be illegal to look at sites showing women's uncovered faces, let alone the Sports Illustrated Swim Suit spreads (where you can see most of their bodies).
Just because something is Illegal (or against someone's culture) does not mean that it must automatically be banned on the Internet.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: Re: TWICE in canada
@namelessone: No offence to you personally, I just tend to read these threads while I'm sitting at work and this kind of formatting makes it impossible for me to glance at the post while flicking through tabs.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Re: TWICE in canada
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Google knows how to play to win.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Net Neutral
[ link to this | view in chronology ]