Begins targeting those who it accuses of being “facilitators” of copyright infringement, meaning we can expect a fresh new wave of lawsuits from its latest and greatest legal strategy.
It seems that newsgroup users will be the next target of the RIAA’s wrath with a new lawsuit filed on behalf major record labels against Usenet.com. It’s always been hoped that Usenet would stay under the radar while the RIAA, MPAA, and others focused on the more mainstream P2P services like Napster, Aimster, Grokster, and KaZaA, but it seems as though the party may be nearing an end.
Filed on October 12th, the suit claims that the Fargo, North Dakota-based Usenet.com service “…sells access to a body of content from a global network of computers” that “…contains…millions of copyrighted sound recordings” and “…touts its service as a haven for those seeking pirated content.”
The complaint even cites Usenet’s own “about” section with the following:
Today’s hottest way of sharing MP3 files over the Internet is Usenet; forget about all the peer-to-peer software applications, which quickly become outdated. Usenet allows everyone around the world to share their files on a worldwide network of peer servers and make them available to any member of this worldwide network.
A usenet is comprised of a large number of servers that communicate with each other. An individual user reads and posts messages to a company’s local computer server. Messages are stored on that server and then exchanged with other servers.
Usenet.com loads online bulletin boards(newsgroups) obtained from the usenet network onto its server and then sells access to the newsgroups that it has chosen to host on its usenet.com service.
The suit claims that many of the newsgroups that usenet.com chooses to offer “are explicitly dedicated to copyright infringement.”
The complaint continues:
Users of Defendant’s service post copyrighted sound recordings to these newsgroups on Defendant’s services; the works are identified by artist and title so that users can easily find any sound recordings they might want to copy. Those copyrighted works are then propagated worldwide, allowing millions of users of the Usenet network, including Defendant’s own subscribers, to copy copyrighted sound recordings with ease and anonymity – and without authorization.
It sums up its lawsuit with the claim that Usenet.com “provides essentially the same functionality that P2P services such as Napster, Aimster, Grokster, and and did,” and that it even goes further than them by customizing “…its services to make it as convenient and seamless as possible for subscribers to distribute and obtain copyrighted music without authorization and without paying for music.”
It’s too early to tell how things will paly out, but one thing’s for sure – the RIAA is leaving no stoned unturned in its scorched earth legal strategy.
[via WIRED]
***UPDATE: P2P Blog has an interesting observation to point out in that the RIAA actually cites an article on Slyck.com in its argument about newsgroups being actively touted as a superior source of infringing material.
"Newsgroups are widely touted – in numerous publications, Internet postings, and other media – as a great source of infringing material, one that is superior to P2P services. See, e.g., Thomas Mennecke, "Bittorrent vs. Usenet", Jan. 9, 2007, available at http://www.slyck.com/story1376.html (comparing Usenet favorably to Bittorrent as a piracy tool)"
Looking for more stuff to watch or download?
Tips on how to not get busted for file-sharing
3 Quick Ways to Watch Movies for FREE!
3 quick ways to watch TV shows for FREE
BitTorrent torrent sites & search engines
uTorrent – A Beginner’s guide to BitTorrent downloading
Watch The Simpsons, The Office, Jackass, South Park, Lost, X-Men, and More, On-Demand For Free
News Tip? Comment? Suggestion? jared@zeropaid.com
Related Posts
- Usenet-News.net – The King Of Newsgroup Block Accounts
- UseNet Service UseNet.com Loses Copyright Infringement Case
- Encrypted Usenet Access Announced by Giganews
- Usenet Made Easy
- How To Download From UseNet For Free Using NZB Files Via ISP
Loading ...
ha ha take that usenet bitches!
no no. i jest but i know a couple of you have a way too high-and-mighty attitude that rubs me wrong sometimes; kinda like the Canadians.
Believe it or not I use usenet but not for warez last thing I want is the MPAA RIAA and other organizations prancing around like they run the place.
is the world really really coming to an end…cause if they take away usenet and p2p…as far as i am concerned the world…my world has come to an end
meh i felt the same when suprnova died. you will get over it and find something new.
don’t worry its just a complain…
Like who couldnt see this one coming a mile away. The way some have waved this shit around as the best pay service ever its lucky to have lasted this long. Did you pay for that shit with a credit card or debit? Oh my!!!! Next time keep your big yapper shut and stop calling everyone else stupid for not paying to play.
Its strange how the community digs a hole for itself by being elite asshats. Oh did I say that??? Sorry asshats!
You bit torrent fan boys can say what you want but usenet is not going anywhere. Don’t believe me? Watch and see. Usenet can be covered under the same rules as an ISP. As long as they arec omplying with take down notices the RIAA does not have a leg to stand on.
what about irc? emule? anyone that thinks that one source of warez is better and exclusive to all others is just plain stupid or short-sighted .. if it has what u want then take it. and obviously if u give ur credit card info to a company and they get taken down then u may have a problem. =)
what about irc? emule? anyone that thinks that one source of warez is better and exclusive to all others is just plain stupid or short-sighted .. if it has what u want then take it. and obviously if u give ur credit card info to a company and they get taken down then u may have a problem. =)
It is also stupid and shortsighted to assume things you know nothing about.
WHERE exactly did I say that ONE source was better in my post? Is it best for ME …YES! And your ignorance is showing on newsgroups because YOU PAY FOR ACCESS TO THEIR SERVERS nothing more….as far as I know that is not a crime.
And as far as paying goes some idiots pay for seed boxes on bit torrent too! Or didn’t you know that?
NOW who is really paying for files? The guy that pays to connect to a server or someone who pays for a seedbox to seed torrents?
And most are illgeal torrents at that!
I personally cannot wait for all the idiots to come out crying about how irc is or was protected by bill # (enter your choice of alpha numeric jibberish for the bill number) enacted by President Clinton or some other crap. Usenet never was invincible and now it is time to face that truth.
#10 I personally cannot wait for all the idiots to come out crying about how irc is or was protected by bill # (enter your choice of alpha numeric jibberish for the bill number) enacted by President Clinton or some other crap. Usenet never was invincible and now it is time to face that truth.
WHO said it was “invincible”? Most have said that it IS MUCH HARDER to take down than kazaa….and it will be!
Maybe you need to face the truth on that one.
So if a bunch of people meet in the student lounge and transfer MP3’s from Ipod to Ipod it’s the school’s fault for providing the lounge?
The phone company’s not responsible for obscene phone calls is it? Why should UseNet be responsible for what their users do? They’re only providing the service which is perfectly legal. How the service is used is up to the users. The RIAA is going to have to come up with a way to identify the users like they did with file-sharing networks.
They’ll find a way but by then music will be free any way as band by band gets out of their contracts and starts their own websites.
The end is near RIAA. Technology is gonna get’cha!
meyou123 : dumbass. i use all of them… and where exactly was i talking to you:) +1 for your e-penis
Hey MeYou Guess What IRC is server based so was tv li nks so are emule hosts and so is everything that was shut down. I know it probably stings a lot more when something you are paying for will be shut down soon. but being vehement about it is not going to protect irc.
14 Hey MeYou Guess What IRC is server based so was tv li nks so are emule hosts and so is everything that was shut down. I know it probably stings a lot more when something you are paying for will be shut down soon. but being vehement about it is not going to protect irc.
Guess WHAT….. those services were NOT protected by the DMCA either! So what is your point?
meyou123 : dumbass. i use all of them… and where exactly was i talking to you:) +1 for your e-penis
I use all of them too dumb FUCK. Are you saying I cannot respond to your post? +1 for being an idiot.
You really beleive IRC has special protections and provisions that protect it don’t you? lmao