Zoekmp3.nl goes down
p2p news / p2pnet: Sony BMG, Vivendi Universal, Warner Music and EMI, the members of Big Four Organized Music gang, have forced the closure of another web site, using claims of copyright infringement as the hammer.
Zoekmp3.nl, run by Techno Design from The Netherlands, went down today because it failed to, “comply” with an injunction leading to fines of 10,000 euros ($12,590) per day, or 1,000 euros per infringing file, says Reuters.
“Techno Design will also have to pay damages, with the amount to be determined at a later stage,” says the story.
Behind the closure was Brein, the Big Four’s Dutch front.
In 2004, “Zoekmp3.nl, which appears in the top twenty of the most popular Dutch websites, has access to some 30,000 music links,” said DMEurope.
“In its hey-day, Zoekmp3.nl had some 50,000 daily visitors and offered MP3 music files worldwide through an estimated 200,000 web pages.”
The site was reporting on the fact Techno Design had been cleared of charges brought by Brein accusing Zoekmp3.nl of copyright infringement.
“The court ruled that providing links to an MP3 file did not constitute disclosure or publication of contents according to Dutch copyright law<' says the story
“It went on to say that what Techno Design did is not unlawful, largely because providing services or assistance that could subsequently lead to infringement and unlawful trade by third parties is in itself not (yet) unlawful.
“The verdict means that the portal will not be shutdown and can continue to be used to search for music on the internet, regardless of whether its findings point to music that is legal or not. This is the very first time that any court in the world has concerned itself with the legality of a software programme that trawls web pages in search of files.”
Brein said it would appeal.
Meanwhile, Reuters doesn’t mention the Big Four are themselves under investigation at federal and state levels in the US on charges of bribery and price-fixing.
Also See:
Reuters – Dutch site linking to MP3 files loses court case, June 19, 2006
DMEurope – Court clears Dutch music search engine of copyright violation, May 13, 2004
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June 20th, 2006 at 12:52 am
It sure ain’t the U.S.A. Netherlands? Nope (see above story). Sweden? Not.
And then there’s Russia; AllOfMp3.com is still apparently going-strong, even as I type. Bravo, Vladimir Vladimirovich, bravo.