Brilliant Digital have responded to comments that they have a stake in Kazaa BV/Consumer Empowerment (owners & distributors of the fasttrack license) or Kazaa/Sharman Networks (who rent 1 of the 2 fasttrack licenses). Brilliant Digital has said that it does not have a direct financial stake in Sharman or Kazaa BV and that it has “no intention of investing” in either one . It claims to simply be a provider of software to Kazaa BV and through its connections helped introduce Kazaa BV to Niklas Zennstrom who bought kazaa.com and rents 1 of the fasttrack licenses. Also, the mystery over Brilliant Digital’s apparent registration of sharman networks.com is explained by the fact that Phil Morle who register the domain is a former Brillant Digital Employee but now works for Sharman Networks and not Brillant Digital.
One of the reasons Kazaa BV/Consumer Empowerment sold Kazaa to Australian company Sharman Networks was to avoid to the outcome of a lawsuit by the Dutch Version of the RIAA. Now the Australia Record Industry Association’s (ARIA) is investigating Kazaa/Sharman Networks but has run into a problem… it can’t find them! The Australian copyright authorities say they’ve investigated the company but haven’t been able to find any evidence of its existence. Read the full story here.
