Posted by anthonyberet on 09/17/05 15:47

http://www.betanews.com/article/RIAA_Tries_to_Combat_P2P_Networks/1126808378

Full text below:

Several of the most popular peer-to-peer file sharing networks are being
asked to take action against users who are participating in sharing
copyrighted materials, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.

The Recording Industry Association of America sent cease and desist
letters to the companies controlling programs such as LimeWire, WinMX
and BearShare, asking them to remove RIAA member files from their services.

None of the targeted companies were commenting on how they would
respond, however several have added features to try and discourage the
downloading of illicit files.

For example, the newest version of LimeWire now pops up a warning if it
believes the file may not be legal or the company does not have a
license for the file requested. But it appears such actions are not
sufficient for the RIAA.

"Companies situated similarly to Grokster have been given ample
opportunity to do the right thing," a RIAA spokesperson said, saying
those who don't comply "do so at their own risk."

The RIAA has worked with two companies, iMesh and Mashboxx, to create
legal P2P offerings. But it's not clear if such services will ever take
off, as P2P users often cite the breadth of content available as a
reason to continue downloading despite legal concerns.

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