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Mark Cuban to fund Grokster vs. MGM case.

Posted by CmdrTaco on from the mark-if-you-read-this-we-heart-you dept.

Deadric writes "According to Mark Cuban's latest blog entry, he will help fund the Grokster vs. MGM case, which threatens to destroy the Betamax shield."

3 of 246 comments (clear)

  1. Guy who rode the boom by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

    I think he started Broadcast.com or something and sold it to Yahoo for a gajillion dollars. Then he bought a basketball team and other stuff and laughed when all the people that didn't use their boom money lost it.

  2. Re:The "Betamax shield" may not fit anyway. by cognibrain · · Score: 5, Informative

    One reason SCOTUS gave Betamax their blessings was that people at the time weren't trying to build libraries of videos...

    Not true. From the BetaMax Shield link:

    ....the uncontroverted survey evidence established that 69% to 75% of all Betamax owners maintain large libraries of off-the-air recordings and that the vast majority of programs in those libraries are copyrighted motion pictures....

    Only 9% of users were making legitimate recordings, but the court ruled that these people should not be denied, despite the majority's unlawful behaviour.

  3. Betamax is not in Question by VoxCombo · · Score: 5, Informative

    Betamax was never questioned in the case.

    The original case went to a summary judgement over two laws: contributory infringement [A & M Records, Inc. v. Napster, Inc. (114 F. Supp. 2d)], and vicarious infringement [Fonovisa, Inc. v. Cherry Auction, Inc. (76 F.3d 262)].

    In the original case, the judge notes during sumamry judgement that Grokster found a loophole in copyright law, which allowed them to dance around the conditions needed for contributory and vicarious infringement.
    The language currently being used for this loophole is "willful blindness".