High Court Agrees to Hear File-Sharing Dispute

stkpogo pastes: "The Supreme Court agreed Friday to consider whether two Internet file-sharing services may be held responsible for their customers' online swapping of copyrighted songs and movies. Justices will review a lower ruling in favor of Grokster Ltd. and StreamCast Networks Inc., which came as a blow to recording companies and movie studios seeking to stop the illegal distribution of their works." Grokster won in the lower courts, but the studios are appealing. This case, when finally decided, will be equivalent to the Betamax case 20 years ago which ensured that VCRs were legal.

Comments

We'll be better off if Rehnquist croaks first

[jizmonkey]

In the Betamax decision, he voted to find infringement. Stevens, bless his soul, wrote the majority opinion. The case will be heard in March and decided by June, so ideally that curmudgeonly bastard Rehnquist will die in February or so and we don't get a new justice appointed before summer. Cross your fingers.