file-sharing

Three of the four Scandinavian men convicted for operating The Pirate Bay--perhaps the best-known file-sharing tool in the world--were in a Swedish court today to begin their appeals court trial.

In April 2009, co-founders Peter Sunde, Fredrik Neij, Gottfrid Svartholm Warg, and Carl Lundstrom were found guilty of copyright violations, sentenced to a year in prison, and ordered to pay the equivalent of $3.6 million. They are now trying to get their convictions overturned.

According to the Web site of Swedish publication Svenska Dagbladet, prosecutors produced e-mails allegedly written by some of the founders and used them to try … Read more

A federal magistrate judge in South Dakota has denied an attempt by the producers of the Oscar-winning film "The Hurt Locker" to obtain the identities of 143 accused illegal file sharers from their Internet service provider.

The judge's decision last week however likely means only a temporary delay for Voltage Pictures, the independent studio which made "The Hurt Locker."

Voltage is one of more than a dozen indie studios that have hired the Washington, D.C., law firm of Dunlap, Grubb & Weaver to file copyright complaints against as many as 50,000 individuals they … Read more

A group of senators want to hand the U.S. Department of Justice the power to shut down Web sites dedicated to the illegal sharing online of film, music, software, and other intellectual property.

"The Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act will give the Department of Justice an expedited process for cracking down on these rogue Web sites regardless of whether the Web site's owner is located inside or outside of the United States," according to a statement from Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and committee member Sen. Orin Hatch (R-Utah).

Under … Read more

In the debate over the illegal file sharing of films online, independent filmmakers have largely been forgotten.

While the antipiracy efforts of the top studios, such as Disney, Paramount, and Warner Bros., and their trade group, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA), have attracted plenty of attention, the impacts of illegal file sharing on indie studios are much more dramatic, according to three indie movie makers who spoke to CNET. Now, some in their ranks have begun to fight back.

About a dozen production companies have filed lawsuits against tens of thousands of individuals they accuse of illegally distributing … Read more

For people worried that they may be accused of illegally sharing "The Hurt Locker," a movie about defusing bombs, the hope was that efforts to chase them down would fizzle out.

No such luck. The film's producers are finally moving to acquire the names of people they accuse of using peer-to-peer services to share unauthorized copies of the movie that won this year's Oscar for "Best Picture." Qwest Communications on Monday notified a customer in Denver that the Internet service provider has received a subpoena from lawyers representing Voltage Pictures, the production company that … Read more

An Internet service provider based in South Dakota is refusing to turn over information belonging to 143 customers accused of illegally sharing the Oscar-winning film, "The Hurt Locker."

In federal court on Monday, Midcontinent Communications filed a motion to quash a subpoena received from Voltage Pictures, the film's producers, who allege some of the ISP's customers used peer-to-peer services to pilfer unauthorized copies of its movie. Voltage seeks to require Midcontinent to identify those customers as well as turn over their home addresses, phone numbers, and other data.

Midcontinent's lawyers told the court that the … Read more

A federal judge has rejected a request by the music industry to freeze assets belonging to Lime Wire and founder Mark Gorton.

In March, U.S. District Court Judge Kimba Wood ruled that Lime Wire, parent company Lime Group, and founder Mark Gorton are liable for copyright infringement by enabling and "inducing" users of the file-sharing software LimeWire to pirate music.

The Recording Industry Association of America, which filed a copyright complaint against Gorton and Lime Wire in 2007, wanted to make sure that Gorton or his companies don't do anything with their money before the court … Read more

U.S. President Barack Obama isn't the only government official who wants to smack down copyright infringement and counterfeiting.

During a hearing before the House of Representatives' Committee on Foreign Affairs, some congressional lawmakers on Wednesday said they want the U.S. government to retaliate against countries that turn a blind eye to online piracy, as well as people who peddle knockoffs of American products here and abroad.

The Obama administration has made copyright enforcement a priority, but Wednesday's hearing made it clear that thwarting piracy and counterfeiting has bipartisan support. The film and music industries have claimed … Read more

Lime Wire founder Mark Gorton during the past decade made millions of dollars helping people share billions of pirated songs. Now, the big record labels claim in legal filings that Gorton has maneuvered to prevent the court from seizing his gains.

In court papers last week, the Recording Industry Association of America once again asked the court to freeze Lime Wire's and Gorton's assets. The trade group for the four largest record companies alleged in a copyright complaint filed in 2006 that Gorton had for five years placed his assets in a trust that he, his wife, and … Read more