p2pnet.net News:- Is there a difference between sharing music online with, potentially, millions of people – or streaming it among a small group numbering no more than 30?

Josh Felser and David Samuel think there is, and they’re sure the difference can make them money.

Their “Grouper is a new Windows based application that allows users to share their personal media within private groups,” they say on the site.

If you’re thinking it all looks a little familiar, you’re probably thinking of Raymond Blijd’s p2pnet story The Grouper Exception.

In it, he wrote: “According to an obscure copyright exception, in Dutch law there’s no infringement of copyrights if you broadcast copyrighted material in a private circle of poeple such as family or friends.

“This is called a ‘closed circle’ exception and has been used but sparingly in copyright cases because judges are reluctant tp accept it.

“For example, people in a workplace setting wouldn’t fall under this exception. The same goes for a funeral. It basically states that there must be a tangible, family-like relationship between the people within the circle.”

Grouper uses p2p technology connecting you directly to your friends’ hard drives where you can share large files in a safe, encrypted environment, says the site

With it, you can download “photos, home movies, documents, and more”.

Home movies, eh? And more ….

And because Grouper streams music from PC to PC, it, “does not violate copyright law because that application is classified as a private performance,” Felser is quoted as saying in an Associated Press report headlined, Share Music with Friends and Family – For Free.

That’ll only apply temportarily, however. “We will eventually offer a paid, premium version that will make life a whole lot easier for users,” AP has Felser saying.

And if it’s good for The Netherlands, it’s OK for the USA. Right?

Stay tuned.

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See:-

site – What is Grouper?

thinking of – The Grouper Exception, p2pnet, September 16, 2004

violate – Share Music with Friends and Family – For Free, Associated Press, October 5, 2004

This entry was posted on Tuesday, October 5th, 2004 at 6:31 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

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