EFF vs RIAA?
p2pnet.net News:- With news of the latest Big Music cartel attack on file sharers, we wondered if the EFF might be getting ready to act on behalf of some of the people being sued.
Not for the moment, EFF (Electronic Frontier Foundation) lawyer Jason Schultz says.
“We wish we could take on more cases, but the RIAA has too many lawyers and too much money for EFF to defend the thousands of people who are being sued,” he told p2pnet.
“As a small non-profit, we just don’t have the resources. As such, we’ve chosen to focus on cases where we can make a long-standing impact for everyone.
“For example, when Sarah Ward, the 65-year-old social worker and grandmother, was falsely accused of file-sharing, we helped her defend the case and forced the RIAA to dismiss it.”
Ward, a 65-year-old grandmother from Massachusetts, was sued by Big Music for supposedly sharing copyrighted music using Kazaa.
The trouble was – she owns only a Macintosh computer which can’t run the troubled Sharmen Networks p2p application.
“The Sarah Ward case demonstrates the reckless, frightening nature of the recording industry’s campaign against ordinary Americans,” said EFF legal director Cindy Cohn at the time.
Schultz points out that the EFF has also filed a number of briefs to help ensure the RIAA follows the proper court rules and respects Due Process.
“As other cases come along that can set precedents and have a nation-wide impact, we’ll probably get involved, he said, adding:
“In the meantime, we’re still working hard to defend the Grokster decision against review by the Supreme Court, oppose the INDUCE Act, and push the industry to adopt a better healthier business model.”
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See:-
cartel attack – RIAA sues another 750, p2pnet, October 29, 2004
Sarah Ward – Lack of Due Process Leads to Mistaken Identity, EFF, September 24, 2003
October 30th, 2004 at 7:56 am
what BS – haven’t these guys considered test cases … sure they have. Why don’t they tell the truth, going after government for illegal search and seizure is more important to them than defending what could prove landmark decisions.
What a bunch of equine excreta
October 30th, 2004 at 8:35 pm
you got THAT right. but theyd soon do it if they 6000 sure-things like Sara Ward
November 2nd, 2004 at 6:04 pm
I disagree…. The group is here to help where they can, not help every single lawsuit.
If they take on a case – one that they lose and set a precedent where it effects the future of p2p badly then they defeat their whole purpose.
If they wait until the right case – one where they can bring p2p back to realistic expectations of freedom I’m sure they will….. but finding the right case out of thousands that they get the chance to defend can/will take time.
At least there is ’someone’ out there defending us.
Just my 10 cents.
_-Jile-_