[ILUG] Interesting Supreme court decisions today

[kevin lyda]

On Mon, Jun 27, 2005 at 03:44:47PM +0100, Braun Brelin wrote:
> Grokster loses:
> http://money.cnn.com/2005/06/27/technology/grokster/index.htm

the scotus decision here seems to say that s/w tool makers can be held
liable if the tool is being marketed to do illegal things.  i think free
s/w will get a win out of this.

bittorrent is widely used for iso images of linux distros.

in addition i think many of these p2p systems can also get a win out of
blogs and indy media.  make them just a bit more user-friendly and get
a few million more video mobiles, and suddenly video blogs and the like
are affordable to folks.

all of which are legal uses of p2p tools.

most commercial systems that focus on distributing music are on shakier
ground.

> Cable companies win:
> http://money.cnn.com/2005/06/27/technology/broadband_ruling/index.htm

i don't think this will have as big of an effect.  other then providing
a useful example of the horrors of these decisions.

kevin

-- 
kevin lyda ~ dems for torture: salazar(co/10) landrieu(la/08) pryor(ar/08)
kevin at ie.suberic.net ~ nelson(fl/06) nelson(ne/06) lieberman(ct/06) 2/2/04
  Those who refuse to raise their voices against something as clearly evil
  as torture are enablers, if not collaborators.  --Bob Herbert, 2/11/04