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FindLaw Offers Latest, Up-to-the-Minute Updates on Napster Case
Views, News Online About Controversial Peer-to-Peer Lawsuit
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (October 13, 2000) - FindLaw, the pioneer and leader in online legal information and services, now provides the latest and most comprehensive Internet coverage about the controversial Napster case with up-to-date legal opinions and virtual viewpoints.
Record industry groups are suing Napster in federal court for allowing its 20 million members to easily share copies of music files over the Internet. The case could affect application of copyright laws for years to come. Napster's side believes the Audio Home Recording Act, enacted by the U.S. Congress in response to CD users taping music onto cassettes, pertains in this case. But record companies disagree - arguing that the Napster service enables massive infringement of music copyrights.
The case is landmark in that peer-to-peer Web sites are popping up for users to swap all kinds of digital entertainment files online whether it be family photos, music videos, or clips from old films. FindLaw aims to stay on top of this issue and provide a variety of resources related to it.
FindLaw offers better coverage of the Napster case than any other online source, according to FindLaw's Communities Manager Timothy Walton.
"We have the only online source for audio oral arguments coverage through a standard MP3 player," he said. "We have more links to related story coverage, all the briefs in the case, its principals, and the updates.
"In addition, FindLaw also offers a fast, complete summary of all arguments related to the Napster case with users getting the Ninth Circuit Court news and opinions from the court. And FindLaw has set up chat and message boards for discussion about this important legal decision."
Walton said the case, which is still an early stage, is on appeal from an earlier injunction to shut down its web site. He said a decision from the Court of Appeals is expected soon on whether the injunction stands against Napster. The record industry may also be reprimanded for not seeking prosecution of copyright infringements under criminal statutes. Another possible outcome is that the propriety of the injunction is not ready for appeal at this point.
See the Napster coverage at: http://napster.findlaw.com